Major Step on Way to Drone Flights Over Europe’s Cities

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Drones are quite a new entrant to busy urban environments, therefore it is important that the aviation authorities know who is using them and for what purpose, to ensure public safety. 

Registered users will now be able to fly their drones anywhere in the European Union with a single registration. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has delivered a digitalized and secure system for the exchange of drones registration data among the national authorities of the Member States.

Drone users will be legally obliged to register as from December 31, 2020 with their national aviation authorities. 

EASA Executive Director Patrick Ky said: “We want to make this process as straightforward as possible for the users. The repository allows information registered with one authority to be shared with others, creating the basis for seamless drone usage across the European Union without the need to register in separate Member States.“ 

The solution launched by EASA on October 15, 2020 is a broker system based on open web technologies and secured standards which facilitates the transfer of drones information between the Member States through the Agency, acting as a hub.

In parallel, it will act as a test case for a larger project to create a fully centralised database of information at EASA, providing the basis for more effective cooperation between EASA and its Member States on certification, oversight and enforcement. 

This database will act as a repository for certificates, approvals, licences, declarations and transfers of responsibilities, in addition to the drones registration data, according to easa.europe.eu.