No flying of drones within 50km radius of Jaipur airport

JAIPUR: The Jaipur Airport Authority has reissued the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Rules 2021, thereby prohibiting the flying of Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (Drone) in Jaipur Control Airspace upto 25NM which is approximately 50km from the airport and officials claimed that this was done following the incident in Jammu recently where two drones were spotted flying near the Indian Air Force station because of which high alert was sounded in the entire area. According to the modified UAS Rules, it is prohibited from flying in strategic and sensitive location, including near airports, defence airports, border areas, military installations/facilities and areas earmarked as strategic locations/vital installations by the ministry of home affairs.
“Operator of drones are required to take proper permission from regulatory authorities like DGCA/MHA/Defence/IAF/DoT/BCAS/AAI, local police administration before operation of drone. Flying of any kind of drone without permission shall be punishable offence under relevant IPC sections according to the severity of offence,” said the order by Jaipur Airport Director J S Balhara.
Officials claimed that in the coming days, a meeting of airport officials along with the state government and police personnel will be held to discuss the flying of drones as well as necessary measures that need to be taken to ensure that there is no security breach. This order reissued on Friday was to sensitise the public about the rules regarding operations of drones after the Jammu episode. In Rajasthan, since 2019, drones were regularly spotted in the border districts around the International Border and sources claimed that in the same year, there were at least five instances when unmanned aerial vehicles were spotted by the security forces and in a few cases were shot down as well.