Interview. Antidio Viguria: ‘This new Royal Decree makes Spain one of the countries in the world with the most advanced drone regulations.

On 25 June, the new Royal Decree 517/2024 came into force, developing the legal regime for the civil use of unmanned aircraft systems, which seeks to boost the drone sector in Spain and improve its competitiveness at European level. But what regulatory changes does this new Royal Decree actually entail? For this, we have talked to the director of the Avionics and Systems Unit at CATEC, Antidio Viguria, who explains it to us in detail in this interview.

-What changes does the new law incorporate with respect to the previous one?

-This new Royal Decree includes a significant number of changes, but we would like to highlight two that we consider to be the most relevant. The first change is that it modifies the regulation for non-EASA civil operations (maritime rescue, firefighting, border surveillance, etc.) and aligns national regulation with current European regulation. Secondly, the RD completes the legal regime that will allow the deployment of U-Space in Spain, which is a fundamental aspect for the safe integration of drones in cities.

-What does it mean for the sector?

-This alignment between EASA and non-EASA operations is a great opportunity for the sector and the Spanish drone industry. Firstly, it allows the same UAS/drone to be used for both EASA and non-EASA operations, thus gaining competitiveness in the sector by being able to apply the same products to a greater number of operations. The fact of aligning national regulations for non-EASA operations with European regulations opens up a wide range of possibilities, especially in the development of products that allow long-range operation (BVLOS), which is one of the key elements for drone-based solutions to be truly competitive. Moreover, the deployment of U-Space will be a necessary enabler for the deployment of drone-based services in cities, such as logistics services.

“The first change is that it modifies the regulation for non-EASA civil operations (maritime rescue, firefighting, border surveillance, etc.) and aligns national regulation with current European regulation”.

-As an expert in this area, what is your assessment?

-This new regulation is very positive and was necessary because the national regulatory framework was already very outdated in relation to the European one, which limited the development of certain applications and services that were in great demand and that will surely help to increase the growth rate of the drone industry.

-What other improvements does this regulation incorporate?

-In addition to the aforementioned, this RD also includes improvements in zoning that will allow it to be better adjusted to the needs of the airspace, making its use more flexible and optimal. On the other hand, the new RD provides a legal framework to establish designated training entities for the specific category, which will facilitate training to cover the future demand for drone operators and pilots for operations that are more complex than the current ones, but which of course provide greater added value for users.

-Any specific aspect you would like to highlight?

-This new regulation makes Spain one of the countries in the world with the most advanced drone regulations. It is important to capitalise on this advantage as quickly as possible and for non-EASA operations users to demand drone services, such as launcher customers, which will encourage the sector to invest as the time to generate a strong domestic industry is now. If not, there is a risk of missing the boat, and that would be a shame as Spain currently has all the elements to become a leading country in the drone sector.

-Is there anything that the regulation does not take into account that is important?

-Automation and AI is a key factor for the growth of the drone sector. Although the RD does not directly address these aspects, it will make it easier for advances made at European level to be applied directly in Spain, especially in non-EASA operations, which is essential for developing national technologies and products in this niche with a high impact on the sector.