- What formalities do you need to take care of before your trip?
1. Notify the airline
Depending on the airline, you’ll need to obtain authorisation allowing you to board with a drone. In general, batteries of less than 160 Wh are authorised in the hold and in the cabin. Please contact your airline’s customer service department to avoid any unpleasant surprises.
2. Declare the import to the New Caledonian authorities
When you import a radio transmission device into New Caledonia, you must obtain an administrative import authorisation (AAI) issued by the Agence nationale des radiofréquences (ANFR). Check whether your equipment is on the list of equipment exempt from AAI. In this case, there is no need to send your request to ANFR.
Go to www.anfr.fr for details of this procedure or directly by email to aai@anfr.nc
- What are the regulations governing the use of drones?
The use of drones for leisure and non-commercial activities (photography, video) does not require authorisation in New Caledonia as long as the rules laid down in terms of air safety and respect for privacy are followed. Otherwise, this constitutes an offence that may lead to legal proceedings.
Thus, we invite you to respect the rules below:
- I do not fly over people (the minimum horizontal distance to be implemented between the drone and any person with the exception of the remote pilot is 30 metres)
- I never lose sight of my drone and I respect the maximum flight heights (never exceeding 150 metres altitude)
- I do not use my drone over public space in built-up areas, nor near airports / heliports, nor in controlled airspace (please note: the airspace above the city of Nouméa is controlled airspace from surface level)
- I do not fly over sensitive sites (military bases, hospitals…)
- I don’t use my drone at night
- I respect the privacy of others
- I don’t broadcast my shots without the agreement of the people concerned and I don’t make commercial use of them
>> Consult the complete list of rules to respect (.pdf)For more information, find the Aéromodélisme : modèles réduits et drones de loisir from the Direction de la Sécurité de l’Aviation Civile.
Direction de la Sécurité et de l’Aviation Civile:
www.ecologique-solidaire.gouv.fr/drones-loisir-et-competition
www.aviation-civile.nc/aviation-generale/drones
Using a drone for commercial activities
Commercial operations can also be considered, but must be previously authorised by / declared to the Civil Aviation Authority in New Caledonia. This type of operation is subject to stricter safety requirements in order to guarantee the protection of the people and infrastructures overflown, as well as that of other airspace users.
For more information, please visit the official website www.aviation-civile.nc/aviation-generale/drones.
