China bans drone ownership in Beijing over security reasons

Beijing has banned the ownership of drones in and around the city in an effort to ensure the security of China’s capital city, authorities say.

The drone ban stretches across both urban and rural areas of the capital, covering around 16,400 square kilometers or roughly half the size of Belgium.

The ban was first announced in September, giving drone owners the chance to dispose of their drones before the ban, outlawing owning and storing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), comes into effect.

Owners promptly got rid of their drones either by reselling them at approved buy-back points or online, with some even transporting them outside the ban area.

The ban also included the transport of drones or their components into the capital.

The ban follows an earlier one directed at drone sales in the capital, coming into effect last May; since the sales ban, owners were required to register their devices with authorities but permitted to keep them, until the capital banned all drones outright.

At present, anyone in possession of a drone in or around the vicinity of the capital city of Beijing could face a fine and the confiscation of their equipment.