Drone permits now mandatory for all flights, even for weddings and recreational use

In a recent directive by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), all drone pilots must now obtain a permit to fly their drones or other unmanned aircraft equipped with cameras flown below 400 feet. This includes activities such as wedding filming, corporate videos, and recreational flying.
The safety directive, issued by CAAM CEO Norazman Mahmud, states that drone operations conducted without the required permits will result in penalties under the Malaysian civil aviation regulations. According to a spokesperson for CAAM, the permits for drones weighing less than 20kg will cost RM250.
Additionally, CAAM clarifies that applications must be submitted at least 14 days in advance to drone.atf@caam.gov.my.

It’s worth noting that the requirement for drone permits has been in place for some time. In a report by the New Straits Times in June 2024, CAAM warned that drones used for both commercial and recreational purposes would soon need to be registered with CAAM.
CAAM further warned that failure to comply could result in fines of up to RM50,000, jail time of up to three years, or both. Corporate bodies, on the other hand, could face harsher penalties of up to RM100,000.
However, in the same 2024 report, CEO Norazman Mahmud admitted that while drone permits were necessary, compliance remained low due to the high number of drones.
In response, CAAM is currently developing an Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UAS TM), which will require drone operators to register their drones before flying. The system is targeted for launch in the third quarter of this year.
Source: [1] Free Malaysia Today, [2] New Straits Times
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