NEW CHALLENGES IN THE OPERATION OF UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES. CHANGES IN LEGAL REGULATIONS REGARDING THE SAFETY OF UNMANNED AVIATION

Abstract

The extremely dynamic development of civil aviation in recent years has simultaneously contributedto the growing popularity of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which have taken over air traffic inthe areas of protection and security of the population and, since the armed conflict in Ukraine, havealso been put to use as dual-use products in military operations. However, one must bear in mind alsousers who fly drones for private and recreational purposes. Such a rapid growth in interest caused thenecessity of introducing regulations that would enable their safe design, production, maintenanceand operation in the EU. Thanks to these requirements, the civil aviation authorities in the EU havemade every effort to create a solid legal framework for the operations of UAVs, keeping up with theirrapid technological development, minimizing accidents that involve flight participants and reducingthe risk of material damage or safety of bystanders present on the surface.The authors adopted the assumption that aviation safety regulations are excessively conservative.The first part of this hypothesis is not a revelation, the rule being that legal regulations are delayedin relation to the dynamics of technological progress in this field. The second is an open questionregarding the need for greater liberalization in the field of unmanned flights.