Beijing bans drone possession months after deadly crash

Beijing has introduced a total ban on drone possession within the capital, further tightening restrictions that had already been imposed on the use and sale of unmanned aircraft in the city.

The new rules were announced on September 13 and are set to take effect in mid-November, as reported by AP.

Beijing has already prohibited unauthorized drone flights, citing security concerns, and designated the city’s entire administrative area as restricted airspace.

The latest revisions follow a fatal accident in late June, when a small aircraft crashed into Beijing’s tallest skyscraper, killing the pilot and injuring 13 people. The extraordinary incident caused concern in China not only because of the target, as the CITIC Tower is home to some of the country’s most vital business empires like the namesake bank and Alibaba group, but is situated just a few kilometres from Zhongnanhai, the Communist Party's headquarters.

Earlier restrictions had banned the possession and sale of drones across the city.

Under regulations approved in March and effective from May 1, people who already owned drones in Beijing were required to register their devices using their real names and identities. Registered owners were nevertheless allowed to retain their drones under strict conditions.

By Nazrin Sadigova