Aviation watchdog DGCA plans to introduce remote pilot licence for operating drones and will come out with draft norms next week for the use of such unmanned aerial vehicles, a senior official said on Thursday. While commercial use of unmanned aerial vehicles is not permitted in the country, there have been instances of drone- like objects being sighted near aerodromes.
Operations were suspended twice last Sunday at the Delhi international airport after pilots spotted drone-like objects at the time of landing. A senior official from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the regulator would come out with draft norms for regulating the use of drones in two or three days or next week. The draft Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) has been finalised after extensive consultations with various ministries and security agencies. “Broadly, there is consensus among various ministries on the draft CAR,” the official said, adding that the concept of remote pilot licensing for use of drones would also be there.
According to the official, there is the concept of issuing remote pilot licence for operating drones that meet certain criteria in some countries. The Government had banned the use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs), including drones, by any non-government agency, organisation or an individual in October 2014.