New rules for safer use of drones: new categories and registration from the end of 20203/12/2020|Press releasesAs of 31 December 2020, new rules for operation of drones will start to apply in the Czech Republic as well as in Europe. They will apply to both newly sold and previously purchased devices. The rules will apply also to aircraft models and all unmanned airplanes. Drones will be newly sorted in three categories and operators must register on the website of the Civil Aviation Authority. Operators will receive a registration number to mark all of their drones. New rules respond to the current situation in the rapidly changing sector. “The new system is introduced mainly to increase safety and transparency in traffic. The important thing is that all EU member states will apply these rules uniformly. Operators can register or attend a training online meaning we are continuing with a gradual digitalisation of the Ministry of Transport”, said minister of transport Karel Havlíček. New rules for drones will apply to ca. 10,000 pilots or operators as well as drones and aircraft models themselves. The biggest change is the mandatory registration and sorting the drones into three categories – open, specific and certified. The differences are in a level of regulation and amount of requirements imposed on the drones’ operators or pilots. Registration will be available on the website of the Civil Aviation Authority on Friday 4 December at 12 p.m. To some extent, it will apply to most of the operators in the Czech Republic except those operating a device with a weight lower than 250 g and without a camera or toys for children up to 14 years of age. According to the new rules, operation of drones will be sorted in the following categories: Open – Basic category that allows to operate a drone even without a previous authorization from the authority regardless the amount of limits and requirements on e.g. the drone’s weight, type of flight or pilot training. Specific – Middle category that allows, after the assessment from the Civil Aviation Authority, to operate drones, which need to overstep some limits from the open category. Certified – The most strictly regulated category, which is intended for a sophisticated operation in the future. More information about each category is available in an overview report on the website of the Civil Aviation Authority (available only in Czech language). For more information, we recommend following the website www.letejtezodpovedne.cz where the Air Navigation Services of the Czech Republic publishes useful information for safe use of drones.