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ACI Europe Publishes Drone Position Paper


Airports Council International Europe Publishes Drone Position Paper

The European Union’s Aviation Strategy has been a major driver of the development of new regulation on the use of drones, since its announcement in December 2015. With the political agreement on the new EASA Regulation, and the endorsement of the Helsinki Declaration by the aviation community late last year, the prospects for the EU’s rulebook on the use of drones have gathered further momentum.


Olivier Jankovec, Director General ACI EUROPE commented “The airport industry is embracing innovation and we are excited about the potential opportunities that drone technology presents, in particular in relation to infrastructure maintenance and operational efficiency, passenger facilitation and more. That said, the safety issues concerning the use of drones in and around airports are increasingly well-documented – underlining the urgent need for an effective regulatory framework on this.”


Drone technology has rapidly emerged over the last 5 years, touching various aspects of air transport, not least airport operations. In the immediacy, the technology potentially has major implications on operational efficiency and safety, with ongoing projects in research and development proposing many other possible uses down the line.


In consideration of the risks and opportunities presented by drones, ACI EUROPE has released the position of the airport industry on the use of drones - embracing the technology and calling for the swift adoption at EU level of safety and traffic management rules. Airports also underline the importance of drone registration, performance-based rules, and a modern approach to integrating drones at airports - one that relies on expedited approvals via “standard scenarios” and safety management systems.


The regulatory material that will be necessary for the next steps of drone integration includes the safety rules developed at EASA, as well as the U-Space* traffic management framework.


ACI EUROPE is the European region of Airports Council International (ACI), the only worldwide professional association of airport operators. ACI EUROPE represents over 500 airports in 45 European countries. Our members facilitate over 90% of commercial air traffic in Europe: 2 billion passengers, 20 million tonnes of freight and 23.7 million aircraft movements in 2016. These airports contribute to the employment of 12.3 million people, generating €675 billion each year (4.1%) of GDP in Europe.


Peter van Blyenburgh UVS International 86 rue Michel Ange FR-75016 Paris France

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