Murzilli Consulting’s Director of Regulatory Affairs and Commercial Space, Juanjo Sola, was featured in an article published by infodron.es, titled “The New Drone Regulation in Spain: A Step Forward for Innovation and Safety”.
Juanjo Sola is an aerospace engineer and the former head of the UAS Division of the Spanish CAA (AESA). He has a background in air traffic control and has served as AESA’s ATM/AIS Oversight Inspector and ATC Training Manager. He has been a part of the ICAO RPAS Panel, JARUS, and EASA’s UAS Focal Point. He is also a licensed pilot for both traditional aircraft and UAS.
In the article, Juanjo discusses the Royal Decree 517/2024, which came into force at the end of June 2024. The regulation establishes a legal framework for the civil use of UAS, which not only promotes technological innovation but also guarantees safety and co-existence with other air activities. The regulation legislates essential aspects of the drone sector such as zoning of airspace, training and insurance requirements and authorisations for various activities. The document also establishes the specifics for carrying out non-EASA activities and services, which refers to first responders such as police, search and rescue, firefighting services and customs.
Juanjo highlighted several key factors, the first being the new areas of airspace enabled for drone operation. The decree states that there is a European regulation that already regulates U-space to safely manage uncrewed traffic particularly in urban areas. This facilitates drone integration into the shared airspace with crewed aircraft and allows a wider variety of operations and a reduction of restrictions in specific areas.
Another point being the reduction of the minimum age required to operate and pilot drones. Pilots may be under 16 years of age, provided the relevant training and supervision requirements are met. This aims to encourage youth participation in the sector to promote education and skill development from an early age.
For insurance-related matters, the decree has removed mandatory insurance for drones under 20 kgs in subcategories A1 and A3. A2 will still require insurance to ensure compliance with the European regulations. This is to enable the use of drones in more recreational and commercial activities.
The decree regulates aeromodelling clubs and associations activities. It has established specific requirements for their legal constitution and documentation for authorisation including organisational structure, operating procedures and management systems as well as ensuring members comply with safety conditions and have the necessary insurance to reinforce safety within recreational drone operations.
Finally, the decree establishes different volumes of airspace where operations can be restricted or facilitated through specific requirements. Of particular importance are those defined in the vicinity of airports. Operations in these areas are allowed with height and distance limitations. This enables drone operations in areas that were previously restricted.
Juanjo defines one of the main challenges posed by the new regulation as operator awareness. Ensuring that all operators, in particular those at the recreational level, are familiar with the changes and comply with the requirements. This will be done as part of an information and awareness campaign by the authorities.
“The Royal Decree 517/2024 represents a crucial step towards the modernisation and expansion of the use of drones in Spain. It will not only improve the safety and efficiency of drone operations, but also open up new opportunities for their integration into commercial and recreational activities.” - Juanjo Sola on the importance of Royal Decree 517/2024 in Spain.
About Murzilli Consulting
Murzilli Consulting is a subsidiary company of M&K Global. It is a digital aviation consultancy firm founded in 2020 by Lorenzo Murzilli and based in Bern, Switzerland, with further branches in Germany, the United Kingdom, Hungary and Spain. The organisation is committed to helping clients succeed with their regulation and compliance strategies. They do this by acting as a digital outsourced regulatory department and working with clients to support them in establishing a high-performing internal regulatory function. Their primary focus is on emerging technologies in the sectors of crewed and uncrewed aviation, advanced air mobility and U-space (including all derivative focuses).
The Murzilli Consulting team offers governments and private enterprises alike the opportunity to establish a high-performing internal regulatory function capable of tackling emerging technologies. They can also develop and implement regulatory strategies and roadmaps as well as execute specific projects such as UAS and USSP certification, type certification, design verification, SORA approvals and CE marking, among other services. Their customer base is unrivalled in the consulting industry and reflects the trust that leading drone organisations have in their services.
About infodron.es
Infodron.es is a virtual space available to companies and professionals in Spain and Latin America, consisting of a news and services portal, plus a weekly newsletter for registered subscribers. It is a professional and independent media outlet dedicated to the dissemination of knowledge about the industry and market of remotely piloted systems.
Edited by IDS (Information and Design Solutions, SL), a company specialised vertical ports (infodefensa and infoespacial.com) and organiser of UNVEX, the first and largest UAV event held in Spain and Latin America since 2010. They aim to provide professional, accurate, verified, independent and useful information for all members of the remotely manned or autonomous systems market, at a professional level, whether for commercial or military uses.