The government plans to establish a licensing system for operating drones, sources have said. Thereby, a license would become necessary when operators use the aircraft at high risk, such as flying over urban areas where the machine is invisible to the pilot.
The government aims to ensure safety by requiring pilots to have advanced knowledge and skills and hopes to start the system's operation in 2022.
The system will be included in a basic policy to be compiled Tuesday by a public-private council on the use of drones. The government plans to finalize details of the system and submit a bill to revise the Civil Aeronautics Law to the ordinary Diet session next year.
Prior to the issuance of a license, examiners will give academic and practical tests to determine whether operators have the knowledge and ability to fly drones safely. The qualifying age is 18 or older, and a validated period will be set. It is being considered that the test be given by government-designated groups that train private pilots as well as directly by the government.
The types of flights that will require a license are non-visual flights over a manned zone without the assistance of a visual observer, such as goods delivery in urban areas, the inspection of bridges, buildings and roads in a wide area, the patrol of an extensive region, and so on. Those who violate flight laws will be subject to administrative penalties, including the cancellation or suspension of licenses.
The licensing scheme comes as drone accidents are on the rise. The number of accidents, including crashes, reported to the government increased from 55 in fiscal 2016 to 79 in fiscal 2018. A growing number of drone operators have also been reported for violating the aeronautics law.
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