UAS Laws – General rules for flying drones in Pakistan

The Pakistani agency responsible for drone safety, PCAA, has provided a number of details on flying a drone for fun or for work. The highlights are enumerated below. For more details go to the link above.

Are drones allowed in Pakistan?

According to PCAA, drones are allowed in Pakistan, subject to PCAA regulations. Read on for details.

Here are the most important rules to know for flying a drone in Pakistan

Pakistan is currently in the process of developing its Drone regulations. The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) will have responsibility for administering the new law.

The current draft addresses manufacturing, import, purchase, usage, licensing, security clearance, regulations, and export of a UAS.

The draft regulations differentiate UAS systems according to their maximum take-off mass (MTOM) or maximum take-off weight (MTOW).

Five categories fall within these classifications, as listed below:

Class-I – less than 250 grams

Class- II – Between 250g and 2kg

Class III – Between 2 kg and 50 kg

Class IV – Between 50 kg and 150 kg

Class V – More than 150 kg

UAS of Class-I and Class-II are subject to specific restrictions, including that an operator cannot fly the drone more than 200 feet above the ground, the UAS may only be flown over the operator’s property; they may not be flown within a 10-nautical-mile (NM) (approximately 18.5-kilometer) radius of an airfield, within two kilometers of the national border, or above or near a sensitive area, such as a nuclear power plant, correctional institution, police station, or court.

The Class-III, Class-IV, and Class-V drones are required to obtain a Certificate of Airworthiness (CoA), Remote Pilot Operator License (RPOL), and follow the rules of the air.

Furthermore, public roads as a take-off and landing ground are not permitted unless the relevant local authority has given its approval.

Restrictions apply again to fly the aircraft near or around sensitive areas.

The policy document states that the new rules will apply to individuals, businesses, private organizations, government entries, foreign nationals, and international organizations.

The minimum age required to operate a UAS has been set at fourteen years. Meanwhile, operators over the age of 16 will be required to register with the PCAA.

The maximum elevation above ground level that an individual over 18 can fly is 400 feet.

While these rules are under development, we encourage you to contact the PCAA directly for updates before flying.