People in charge of flying drones who break the rules currently are liable to fines of up to €2,500, a fugure that needs to be revised upwards, according to the National Civil Aviation Authority.
Luís Riberio commented that failing to observe the regulations constitutes an aeronautical infraction open to fines of between €250 and €2,500 but that the "the fines must be updated in the future."
Ribeiro said that regulating the use of drones in Portuguese air space may soon be nullified by EU rules and regulations being worked on but in the meantime there are restricted areas in place, listed on www.voanaboa.pt
Under Portugal's rules, drones can only fly during the day and must always be visible to the person controlling the machine. There are restricted zones and no drone may fly more than 120 metres above the ground, unless permission has been given by the Civil Aviation Authority.
Under the new rules, drones must be a good distance away from people and property and certainly must go nowhere near manned commercial or private flights, must have their warning lights on at all times.
Surprisingly for Portugal, a land of forms and regulation, owners do not have to be registered but they must be sane.
Ribeiro said the authority had consulted widely and had tried to balance fun with safety issues, adding that in some countries, drones are banned from flying within 5 kilometres of an airport.
