UAE grounds drone and light plane flights immediately

Owners, practitioners and enthusiasts were stopped from flying from today

RAS AL KHAIMAH, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - NOVEMBER 21:  Phil Keating, a retired airforce pilot from the UK, who currently works as an IT Manager in Abu Dhabi, takes off at the Jazirah Aviation Club in Ras Al Khaimah on November 21, 2008. Phil comes out to RAK to fly each Friday; he flies an Aeroprakt 22L which is a single-engine, micro-light, 100 horsepower aircraft.  (Randi Sokoloff / The National)   *** Local Caption ***  RS033-1121-Keating.jpgRS033-1121-Keating.jpg
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All flights of drones and light sports aircraft by owners, practitioners and enthusiasts are being stopped immediately, the Ministry of Interior said on Saturday.

The ban was put in place in co-ordination with the General Authority for Civil Aviation.

The decision was made after recent cases in which flyers have broken the rules that limit the sports to specific areas identified in the user permits by trespassing into areas in which such activities are prohibited.

The ministry asked the public and the community to respect the directives it issued jointly with the General Authority for Civil Aviation to ensure the safety of lives and property.

All air activities will be suspended as of Saturday, January 22, 2022.

Organisations with work contracts, or commercial or advertising projects, that rely on filming using drones must communicate with the permit authorities to take the necessary exceptions and permits to carry out their work and projects during this period to avoid any consequences that affect the timing of these projects.

MoI reminded users that anyone performing these activities during that period and disregarding the rules will be subject to legal liabilities.

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Updated: January 23, 2022, 8:33 AM