AAC: Drone flying over crowds of people is not allowed, the SHGM also reacts

Violating the rules under the pretext of "we didn't know" is unacceptable, the Civil Aviation Agency (AAC) announced today, after being informed that last night teams of journalists were summoned to the police for questioning due to the lack of proper permission to film with a drone at rallies in Skopje's square.

The CAA has emphasized in the statement that the persons who operated the drone during yesterday's events had to be registered drone operators and possess a certificate for registered drone operators issued by the CAA. The CAA also emphasizes that they did not dare to fly directly over crowds of people because in no category of drone operations (A1, A2 or A3) is flying directly over crowds of people allowed.

The agency also emphasizes that the creation of a prohibited area for the flight of unmanned aircraft is published simultaneously with its creation on the map for reserved airspace, available 24/7 on the website www.drone.gov.mk and at www.caa.gov.mk. Every drone operator and every remote pilot, the aviation regulator explains, before starting a planned flight, is obliged to announce the flight on this map and during the preparation of the flight, familiarize themselves with the situation in the airspace they want to use, both for their own safety, as well as for the safety of other operators and, most importantly, the safety of third parties on the ground.

In the statement, the CAA recalls that the "Unmanned Aircraft Regulation", which fully implements the European regulations "Regulations (EU) 2019/945 and 2019/947", entered into force on June 1, 2024 (Official Gazette 115, from May 31 to 2024), with application canceled from January 1, 2025.

As announced by the Ministry of Interior, the TV21 and Rijter journalist teams were summoned last night for questioning by the police due to not possessing the proper permission to film with a drone at the rallies in the square in Skopje, on the occasion of the tragedy in Kocani, and after questioning they were released.

The Ministry of Interior announced earlier that the CAA had decided to ban the use of unmanned aircraft (drones) for any operations in the territory of the cities of Kocani and Shtip, and conveyed the CAA's announcement that "the unauthorized, uncoordinated operation of these drones not only endangers air traffic, but can cause serious consequences for the lives and property of third parties."

The Association of Journalists of Macedonia (ASHG) and the Independent Union of Journalists and Media Workers (SPGM) express concern about the summoning of journalists, including representatives of international media, to an informational meeting following last night's protest in Skopje.

“According to available information, the ban on the use of drones was officially announced after 20:00 PM, almost two hours after the protest had begun. Moreover, in the announcements of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Civil Aviation Agency, such a ban was not mentioned at all for the city of Skopje. This raises serious questions about the legal basis of the actions against journalists. According to the Regulation on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Article 7, Paragraph 1), certain areas may be restricted for security or other important reasons, but these decisions must be clearly defined and publicly available in a timely manner. The general implementation of the ban without prior notice and over the entire city, as in this case, is not in line with this legal framework,” the SPGM and SHGM statement said.

From there, they demand answers from the Ministry of Interior and the CAA on what legal basis entire cities are covered, instead of specific areas as provided for in the bylaws, and why the media were not informed in time about the restrictions.

"We expect institutions to act transparently and in accordance with the law, to avoid actions that could be interpreted as restricting the work of journalists and media freedom, especially for events of high public interest. We also call on journalists who use drones to do so responsibly and carefully, without disturbing families and relatives who are going through a difficult period, especially in the coming days when the funerals of the deceased will be held," the SPGM and SHGM statement said.