The drone prevention system at Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) helped detect 129 cases of drone activity near its premises over the past two years, with 27 cases leading to fines by the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) for flying a device in a no-fly zone.
The system, which was designed by the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology, was launched in 2020 to prevent drones from disrupting the operations at the airport, CAA Deputy Director-General Clark Lin (林俊良) said.
“The system can detect drones as soon as their altitude [is within the range] of the no-fly zone. It is also able to interfere in drone activity through handheld, mobile and long-range devices,” Lin said.
Photo: CNA
From October 2020 to last month, the system detected 129 cases of drone activity, CAA data showed.
Through joint efforts of the CAA and police, 27 illegal drone operators were found, the agency said, adding that the minimum fine for illegally flying a drone is NT$300,000.
In the past, deterring illegal drone activity was difficult, as the CAA was not able to find the operators after drones were detected and hold them to account, the agency said.
The institute is also commissioned to design a drone prevention system for Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, which is scheduled to become operational by next year or 2024, Lin said.
Another drone prevention system, developed by a group of experts recruited by Kaohsiung International Airport, is scheduled to be operational next year, while a new system at Taichung International Airport is to be built by the Ministry of National Defense, as the military also uses the airport, he said.
The CAA is revising the Regulations of Drones (無人機管理規則), seeking to require drones weighing 250g or more to be equipped with a radio-frequency identification function, Lin said, adding that members of the public would be able to find out whether a drone is registered through a government app.
After the revision, the regulations would also require businesses using drones for delivery services to operate flight management systems through which they would have to monitor the locations of their drones, Lin said.
Different drone management systems would be gradually integrated into a national system, Lin said.
In related news, CAA Director-General Lin Kuo-hsien (林國顯) yesterday said that airlines should not compromise aviation safety to meet the rising demand for air travel after COVID-19 curbs were lifted, including a cap on the number of inbound passengers that was lifted on Monday.
“Amid so-called ‘revenge travel,’ with people being more motivated to travel to make up for the lost time during the COVID-19 pandemic, flight capacity and airport operation could become unstable. Airlines will be under pressure to increase flights, which could place cabin crew under stress as well,” Lin said. “To prevent unexpected harm, airlines are advised to gradually [raise] their capacities to meet rising flight demand.”
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