Little airspace free for commercial drones in China
Business use of the aerial vehicles, which is already happening in the West, is unlikely to fly on the mainland, aviation lawyer says
A business turning to aerial drones to get its deliveries out on time seems like an smart solution in a city prone to traffic jams. But Shanghai's civil aviation authorities wasted no time in nixing Incake bakery's plans for a fleet of drones weaving amid the city's skyscrapers to get their desserts to customers in record time.
Hopes for widespread commercial use of drones on the mainland appear to have been grounded, largely due to the national security implications, according to one aviation law expert.
"Civilian drones face very strict regulations on the mainland. Anything that flies, like hot air balloons or drones, must have official permission," said Zhang Qizhun, a researcher at the aviation and space research centre at the China University of Political Science and Law and a director of the aviation law committee of the Beijing Bar Association.
"Our country is ready to go to war. It is always on the alert for national safety threats, although in the case of commercial civilian drones, public safety is also at stake," he said.
"Hot air balloons hanging banners have been used before, during big occasions like the World Expo, but even those had to get clearance well beforehand."
Use of civilian drones, so far, has been confined to government departments or state-linked businesses. The State Grid Corporation uses civilian drones to check power lines, while the State Oceanic Administration plans to build 11 drone bases for marine surveillance along the country's coastline by 2015, according to Xinhua.