Today, the municipality of Amsterdam is the first major European city to introduce the concept of ‘do-fly zones’ for tourists who would like to take photos with their drones. Ticket machines will be set up in a number of places in the city where temporary flight permits can be purchased. According to transport councilor Saskia Autel, Amsterdam wants to profile itself as the ‘drone capital of the Netherlands’ not only for companies, but also for hobbyists.
Ticket machines
A few weeks ago, Amsterdam introduced a number of no-fly zones for drones at tourist hotspots. This is for the safety and privacy of local residents. But there are also plenty of places in the city where drones can be flown safely. For example, because there is more space. For that reason, there are now also a number of ‘do-fly zones’, says councilor Autel.
Ticket machines will be installed at the locations in question, which will soon be designated. There, tourists can enter their operator number with a drone. A check will then immediately take place at Schiphol air traffic control. Once their UTM system gives the green light, the drone pilot is assigned a time slot and maximum flight altitude. The flight is tied to the operator number of the person in question. To check this, Remote ID receivers are installed. Who without clearance flies, will automatically be fined.
According to councilor Autel, it is very important for Amsterdam to facilitate recreational drone pilots. “It is very valuable for the international promotion of our city that visitors continue to post beautiful aerial photos on their Instagram. But in a safe way. We are already leading the way when it comes to facilitating companies that want to fly drones. Why not also for recreationalists?”
Air load
With the ticket machines at the ‘do-fly zones’, Amsterdam is also the first city in the world to monetize the airspace above urban areas. “As a city council, we are always looking for new sources of income. You pay road tax when you go out with your car. Why not pay air tax when you fly your drone? This also fits in perfectly with our vision on Urban Air Mobility,” Autel adds.
