Switzerland harmonises drone oversight with EU

Measures will be taken to ensure drones and concentional aircraft can use the same airspace. Keystone / Gian Ehrenzeller

Switzerland will adopt European Union regulation on the manufacture and flying of drones from the start of next year.

EU rules set maximum altitudes, weight limitations and restrictions on the airspace in which drones can fly. Long range flights will require ground-based controllers to have a special license that is recognised by both Switzerland and the EU.

Switzerland will adopt the EU ‘U-Space’ standard that sets measures for safely integrating drones and conventional aircraft in the same airspace.

Environmental, privacy and security regulations will also be harmonised, according to a statement from the joint Swiss-EU committee on aviation.

Different types of drone flights will be assigned to three different categories depending on the type of risk they pose.

The joint committee has also agreed to some small adjustments to the system of assigning airline slots at airports.