Bulgaria’s Parliament bans drones from airport security zones

Bulgarian security services will be able to stop and forced to land unmanned aerial vehicles – drones – if they enter a prohibited area, such as the security zone of an airport, according to amendments to the Civil Aviation Act approved at second reading by Parliament on October 2.

Violators will be subject to sanctions, including for damages resulting from the forced landing.

The amendments tighten control over the registration of drone operators.

The terms and conditions for the forced landing of drones and for the application of coercive measures to remove them shall be determined by a government ordinance, drafted on the basis of a proposal by the Ministers of Defence, Transport and Communications, Interior, Foreign Affairs and the head of the State Agency for National Security.

The provision will not apply to the operation of drones for activities carried out in the public interest by state authorities, including security, defence, combating crime, ensuring fire safety, disaster protection, as well as for the needs of emergency medical care.

The changes to the law prohibit the creation of disturbing electromagnetic effects on the devices and systems used for communication and navigation in civil aviation, as well as the unlawful emission of radio frequency bands.

(Archive photo: Transport Ministry)