New | China to require drone owners to register using their real names in bid to improve air safety

Mainland Chinese pilots of recreational drones such as the Phantom and Mavic models sold by DJI will have to register with the country’s civilian aviation regulator starting June 1, according to a statement by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

China’s civil aviation watchdog will introduce a real-name registration policy for drone owners in a bid to address concerns over aviation safety and national security posed by increasing adoption of drones in the country.

The CAAC will require all civil-use drones that weigh more than 250g to be registered on its online system from June 1, China’s state media Xinhua said in blog post on Weibo on Tuesday.

“Just like there is traffic regulation for cars, there ought to be regulation for those who operate their vehicles in the sky. Real-name registration will guide the drone industry in China towards a healthy development,” said Sophie Pan, analyst with IDC China.

The move is the latest by Chinese authorities to tackle the drone safety threat after the illegal use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) made headlines at least a dozen times since the beginning of 2017.

The latest case was in April when more than 240 flights were disrupted by drones flying near Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport in southwest China, leaving 10,000 travellers delayed.