SPOTLIGHT: Drone regulations in LatAm

The Brazilian civil aviation authority (ANAC) issued this week a specific regulation for the use of unmanned aircraft, or drones.

The regulation is in effect after being published in the official gazette on May 3 and undergoing a consultation period. The proposal dates from 2015 and went through public hearings for 60 days, receiving over 277 contributions.

According to ANAC, the goal is to make the operations viable while preserving the safety of people and enforcing sanctions on irregular aircrafts.

The new regulation divided unmanned aircraft into types and sizes, such as those used for recreational purposes, drones used for commercial operations, corporate or experimental. The new rules complement regulations from other public agencies such as airspace control department Decea and telecom regulator Anatel.

BNamericas takes a look at other Latin American countries with existing drone regulations.

URUGUAY

The country was the first in Latin America to regulate the use of "remotely operated air devices," when civil aviation and aeronautics agency Dinacia issued a set of rules in September 2014.

Drones were differentiated by size and purpose, such as commercial or leisure activities. For each case a different regulation applies. Medium-sized and large drones must be registered with the department of operational safety.

CHILE

In April 2015 Chile became the second country in Latin America to regulate the use of remotely piloted aircraft through a rule from civil aviation authority DGAC known as DAN-151.

The regulation focused on the flight of the machines over populated areas and outlined requirements to register equipment and acquire an operator's license.

ARGENTINA

Three months after Chile, Argentina's civil aviation authority ANAC issued its own regulation for the use of drones.

The rules included psychophysical tests and control of alcohol consumption for unmanned aerial vehicle operators. The rules also divide drones into three categories according to size, and by recreational and non-recreational use.

COLOMBIA

Colombia's civil aeronautics authorities issued in September 2015 a set of rules called "general guidelines for aerial navigability and operations of remotely piloted aircrafts."

The text also divided the equipment into commercial and recreational, with the first type banned from flying over cities and the second needing licenses, greenlighted fly zones, flight altitude and equipment weight. Drones weighing over 25kg with metallic propellers are banned in the country.

ECUADOR

Around the same time as Colombia, the Ecuadoran civil aviation agency DGAC issued a 10-article regulation. It states that drones cannot be operated in the vicinity of military bases or small airports, keeping a minimum distance of 9km from airplanes that are taking off or landing.

PERU

In March 2016, the Peruvian congress passed a bill with a general framework for operating drones. The text gave to municipalities the power to regulate drones that are operated to monitor security and traffic.

The bill also highlighted the possible uses for drones, such as to analyze environmental risks or the aftermath of natural disasters, among other things.

MEXICO

In Mexico, the lower house's communications and transportation commission greenlighted at the end of April a text regulating drones in the country's airspace. The text will be presented in coming days to the full house for a vote. In the legislation, the communications and transport ministry (SCT) plays a key role in regulating the operations of unmanned aircraft.

NICARAGUA

Nicaragua does not have a combined set of rules, but its civil aviation authority issued a regulation as early as 2014 prohibiting the use of drones flying at heights of over 100ft and covering more than 30m.