BELMOPAN, Belize, CMC – Belizean authorities are moving to clamp down on the use of drones amid concerns that they pose a security risk for aircraft.
The Department of Civil Aviation has launched a public consultation on new drone rules. According to the Director of Civil Aviation, Nigel Carter, the operational directive will replace the current patchwork of approvals, require licensing, limit where drones can fly, and align Belize with international standards.
“The primary area of concern is aircraft safety. In Belize, aeroplanes often operate at about 500 feet even when en route. We have to be very careful not to mix manned and uncrewed aircraft in the same vicinity, lest we reduce the level of safety,” Carter said.
The new rules will cover recreational and commercial drone use, as drones have become essential tools for farmers, surveyors, and businesses using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to map land, monitor crops, and manage fields more efficiently.
But drone operators are raising red flags because these rules aren’t optional. They say that the directive would carry the full force of law, and noncompliance could result in penalties.
The drone operators have called an emergency meeting for this week to discuss the situation, even as Carter explained that the public consultation process is a key part of implementing the rules.
“We are receiving information and concerns from the drone-operating public. After reviewing those, we will meet with operators to explain where we stand on each issue,” he said, adding, “if we don’t protect manned aviation, it could be disastrous. It could have severe socioeconomic impacts on Belizean society.
“So the Department of Civil Aviation, in keeping with its international obligations for keeping the skies safe over Belize, is in the process of implementing an operational directive.”
He said that the Civil Aviation is now receiving information, or concerns, from the drone operating public, which is what the intent of the consultative process “for us to understand and hear people, after which we will review those concerns and then we will meet with the drone operating public to basically explain to them where we stand on each of those concerns.”
The proposed directive would set clear, mandatory rules for all drone use in Belize, replacing the patchwork of approvals now in place. It would standardise licensing and operating limits, while aligning Belize’s drone laws with international aviation standards used in the United States, Europe, and by global aviation authorities.
“The primary area of concern is safety, aircraft safety. We have a very unique operating airspace. If you go to the US, the airplanes take off in the vicinity of the airport, then immediately climb to 30,000 feet and operate there.
“In the Belize airspace, in many instances, the airplanes are at about 500 feet even when en route. And so we have to be very careful not to create a mix of human-crewed and uncrewed aircraft in the same vicinity, lest we reduce the level of safety.”
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