Drones banned from specific areas to enhance safety

Drones have been banned from eight types of areas in Shanghai, the government announced over the weekend.

This is the first time no-drone zones have been specified.

The areas are:

Clearance zones of military airports and restriction zones of the Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Hongqiao International Airport, Longhua Helicopter Airport and Gaodong Helicopter Airport.

Military forbidden zones and protection zones of important research, production, testing and storage facilities of military industries, and 500 meters within their range.

Military administration zones, and city and national CPC and government organs and places under their supervision, and 100 meters within their range.

Nuclear facility control areas under Level I and II protection standards, large enterprises which produce and store dangerous inflammable and explosive materials and large warehouses and bases which store inflammable important materials, and 100 meters within their range.

Power plants, electricity substations, gas stations and large bus stations, wharfs and ports, and 50 meters within their range.

High-speed railway and the Metro’s non-underground rails, and 100 meters within their range.

Normal railway and national and provincial expressways, and 50 meters within their range.

Areas where the government temporarily bans drones.

Other small and low-speed aircraft and floating objects that use lower air space are also banned from these areas. Such aircraft and objects include light and super-light airplanes, light helicopters, gliders, paragliders, delta-wing airplanes, airships and model airplanes.

Owners of civil drones are required to register with the civil aviation administrations, while owners of other small and low-speed aircraft and floating objects should register with the police.

Application rules

People who need to use civil drones and other aircraft or floating objects in the banned areas must file applications with the air force and civil aviation or meteorological administrations or institutions in charge of the protection of military facilities in advance.

The rules take effect from June 1.

Police told Shanghai Daily that the new rules took elements from the draft national drone rules which are now in the stage of collection and comment from the public.

The local rules will be aligned with the national rules once the latter take force.