Experts worried by plans to relax drone zone around Schiphol Airport

Pilots, the Public Prosecution Service (OM), and the Amsterdam police’s drone team are all concerned by the Ministry of Infrastructure’s plans to ease flight restrictions around Schiphol Airport for drones. Currently, there’s a no-drone zone with a radius of about 15 kilometers around Schiphol. The Ministry plans to reduce this zone to allow more drone flights in more locations, NH Nieuws reports.

Air traffic control is currently “too busy” processing requests for drone operations in the area around the airport, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management told the broadcaster. “This is a heavy burden and unnecessary for aviation safety,” the spokesperson said. “A drone located at a safe, considerable distance from the airport does not pose a risk to aviation safety or the airport’s vital processes.” The Ministry hopes to implement the new policy sometime next year.

But the authorities involved are concerned. The Amsterdam police’s drone team, for example, worries about an increase in drones. “It’s not helpful, because you’ll get a proliferation of people using drones for the most unusual flights, without any training,” a spokesperson said. The police’s drone team is also worried about people with less good intentions. Relaxing the no-fly zone around Schiphol will give these people more reach. Moreover, collisions with drones and emergency service helicopters are more likely to occur in a more crowded airspace.

The OM is also concerned. “It will make it more challenging for law enforcement to keep everything safe. If it’s prohibited to fly drones, you can take action,” aviation prosecutor Katja van Bijsterveld told NH. “Moreover, you can’t tell from a drone whether the pilot has good or bad intentions.”

The pilots’ union has been raising concerns about the number of illegal drones in Schiphol’s approach routes for years. According to the union, the Ministry is making the no-fly zone smaller because it’s easier than stricter enforcement. “I think it’s unwise,” board member and pilot Coen George said. He points out that a drone in a plane engine can cause engine failure. It can also be dangerous if a collision with a drone shatters the cockpit windows during a crucial moment, like landing. “We fly by hand and by sight, so that’s seriously dangerous.”