If you were hoping for a home air drop for your next pizza order or an online apparel purchase, you may have to wait a bit. The Centre has put a spanner in the plans of e-commerce giant Amazon and Mumbai-based pizza delivery chain Francesco by putting out a strongly-worded diktat against the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for civilian applications.
In a public notice dated October 7, the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has asked for ?strict compliance? till formal rules are announced by the regulator. In fact, even the International Civil Aviation Organisation was yet to publish standards and recommended practices for certification and operation of UAVs for civil use.
?Lots of interest is being shown for civil use (both commercial and recreational) of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in the country. However, its use, besides being a safety issue, also poses a security threat,? the DGCA notice said, adding that UAS may lead to air collisions because of the high density of manned air traffic over Indian cities.
?The civil operation of UAS will require approval from the Air Navigation provider, defence, ministry of home affairs and other security agencies, besides the DGCA. DGCA was in the process of formulating the regulations for use of UAS. Till such regulations are issued, no non-government agency, organisation, or an individual will launch a UAS in the Indian Civil Airspace for any purpose whatsoever,? it added.
It may sound straight out of a sci-fi movie, but media reports in August indicated that Amazon has plans to start drone deliveries in India ahead of its home market US. The target was to start by Diwali, with trials in Mumbai and Bangalore. Last year, Amazon showcased the Prime Air octocopter, a drone fitted with eight rotors, and has also been developing vehicles that weigh less than 25 kg and travel at over 80 kmph with a payload of up to 2.26 kg ? this covers 86% of the products sold by the e-retailer.
Incidentally, little-known pizza chain Francesco Pizzeria also tried its hands on a drone delivery of a pizza in May this year to avoid traffic snarls in Mumbai that at times lead the food to turn cold by the time it is delivered. However, the experiment turned sour when the Mumbai Police wrote to the pizza chain seeking an explanation as to why permissions were not taken. Drones, which can be operated remotely, or pre-programmed for certain routes, have multiple other uses such as crowd/riot control and security.