Drones, the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) loved by hobbyists, but which have important everyday commercial and other applications, are starting to become an issue in the Caribbean, raising unusual questions for governments and the tourism industry about freedom, safety and security. In the last month it has emerged, for example, that while an estimated 5,000 drones are using Dominican Republic airspace, almost all of their owners are not complying with the local regulations covering the devices.
In a recent interview with Diario Libre, the Director of the Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation’s (IDAC) Flight Operations Department, Pablo Cabrera, said that since April 2015 when regulations were introduced to control the use of UAVs in Dominican airspace, just 27 operators had registered at IDAC. Mr Cabrera said that most who had done so were those who undertake commercial activities, such as filming, or topographical measuring for engineering or agriculture.
So concerned has Barbados become about UAV use, that it recently announced a 12-month prohibition on their importation. The Customs and Excise Department said that the ban from April 1 would allow the authorities to complete a legal framework to govern the