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Drone operators fined NT$16 million in Taiwan

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration fined drone operators NT$16 million in 72 cases last year and during the first half of this year.
  • More than 80 percent of the violations occurred at airports, reservoirs and science parks, including a recent airport incident that halted flights for 10 minutes.
  • Experts warned that drones can threaten flight safety, damage infrastructure, contaminate water and expose trade secrets.

Taiwanese authorities fined drone operators a total of NT$16 million in 72 cases last year and during the first half of this year, with most violations occurring around airports, reservoirs and science parks.

The Civil Aviation Administration said 47 cases occurred last year and 25 during the first half of this year. Of the total, 24 involved airport restricted airspace, 19 occurred at reservoirs and 15 at science parks. The remaining 14 cases took place in other restricted areas, including Taipei Main Station and power plants.

A recent drone detection alert near Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport showed the potential disruption. The alert forced the airport’s north and south runways to suspend takeoffs and landings for 10 minutes, affecting nine flights. YouTuber Chung Ming-hsuan was fined NT$330,000 for illegally flying a drone near the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in June and for failing to display its registration number.

Commercial aircraft travel at high speeds and low altitudes during takeoff and landing, and a drone being sucked into an engine or colliding with an aircraft could cause a major disaster.

· Lu Yen-liangThe aviation technology director warned about the risks of drone incursions near airports.

Chaoyang University of Technology aviation technology director Lu Yen-liang said drones could be sucked into an aircraft engine or collide with a plane during takeoff or landing, causing a major disaster. Reservoir and power plant restrictions aim to prevent damage, water contamination and other secondary disasters. Science parks also need protection from aerial photography that could expose trade secrets, while a crash could damage sensitive equipment or injure workers.

Former National Cheng Kung University associate professor Melody Dai said airport no-fly zones receive priority, while local government restrictions have fewer resources and rely more heavily on public reports. Under the Civil Aviation Act, unauthorized drone flights in reservoirs and science parks can draw fines of NT$30,000 to NT$1.5 million. In serious cases, authorities can confiscate the drone. The CAA advises users to check restricted-airspace maps through the Ministry of Transportation and Communications’ Drone Map app or its drone management system.

We have entrusted the selection committee to your leadership, Honourable Speaker, as a neutral body.

· Md AsaduzzamanThe law minister defended the proposed structure for appointing National Human Rights Commission members.
About this summary

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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