China tightens rules on drone use

New rules are being introduced in China to clamp down on unregulated private drone use.

The move follows several cases of disruption to flights at airports across the country caused by drones being flown too close to airport runways.

Private UAV operators will have to register to use their drones between June 1 and August 31, 2017. [Photo: fsop.caac.gov.cn]

Under the new rules, all privately operated unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in China with a maximum takeoff weight of over 250 grams must be registered, using real names, between June 1 and August 31, reports the Beijing News.

As real-name registration is popular around the world, China will fall into line and severely punish those fail to obey the rules, said Sun Weiguo, from the China Air Transport Association.

Real-name registration was first initiated in 2015. The process was accelerated after frequent cases of UAVs disturbing civil flights in recent months.

Sun said the country would also bring drones under the control of the low-altitude flight service system, and might perhaps one day include it in the civil air traffic control system.

Last month, civil flights in Chengdu, Hangzhou, Dalian, Nanjing and Shanghai were disrupted by drones on several occasions, with nine cases at Chengdu Shuangliu Airport alone, causing 34 flights to be canceled and 112 flights turned back or sent to alternative airports.