Muscat: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has simplified the process of issuing licenses for the use of unmanned aircraft (drones) for various purposes.
The new rule will benefit young Omani entrepreneurs who use this technology in businesses such as e-commerce, agriculture, and photography, etc.
As per the decision 147/2020 issued on July 16, 2020, the age limit of the applicant should be a minimum of 18 years.
The drone has to be insured for civil liability for the benefit of others throughout the license period.
The license is issued for one year and is renewable, and it may not be waived except after written approval from the authority.
The license fees vary according to the type of use and the employer.
The fee of RO25 has been set for individual licenses for civil use with the aircraft weighing no more than 5kg.
The license fee for aircraft weighing 25 kg and more for commercial purposes for large companies or institutions will be up to RO500.
The use of remote control aircraft, drones, or any other flying object, without approval from the competent authority, is not allowed in the Sultanate and is seen as a criminal offence.
According to Oman’s Public Prosecution, the offenders will be liable to one-year imprisonment and a fine of RO10,000. It may be noted that Muscat Airport had to suspend operations temporarily twice last December and January due to suspected drone activity.
The Oman Logistics Centre (OLC) and ASYAD recently experimented parcel delivery and inventory stock counting using drones
The first experiment saw packages delivered in Nizwa and Muscat. The Nizwa drone transported a parcel weighing approximately 1.5kg nearly 3km in just over four minutes.
The Muscat drone transported a parcel weighing approximately 5kg in less than four and a half minutes before returning, a round trip of over 3km.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
