Azerbaijan's Drone Regulations Place It Among Non-Democratic Countries

During the filming of the movie Vətəndaş A in Lahij, a drone belonging to the Public Television crew crashed. Initially, the film's operator claimed the drone was shot down by Azerbaijani border guards. However, the producer later refuted this explanation, stating the drone collided with a cliff due to her error.

This incident highlighted the pressing issue of Azerbaijan's restrictive approach to private drones, which are freely sold and used abroad but are banned in Azerbaijan. Worldwide, drones are extensively used by journalists, scientists, advertisers, businesses, medics (for urgent delivery of medicines), retailers (for goods delivery), and postal services. In Azerbaijan, however, miniature unmanned aviation is classified as "civilian items of restricted use," with their import regulated under the same stringent rules as weapons, explosives, currency printing devices, and space equipment.

The list of countries that restrict drones speaks volumes. Nations where importing and using drones is strictly prohibited include Tunisia, Egypt, Venezuela, the Vatican, North Korea, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Nicaragua, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Brunei, and Bahrain. Notably, in communist China, drones are freely available in stores and can be launched by private individuals without state approval.

In October 2023, the issue was raised in Azerbaijan's Milli Majlis (parliament) by MP Tahir Mirkishili during discussions on the draft law "On Aviation" in a committee session. He pointed out that drones as small as a few centimeters can pose serious threats to privacy and, in some cases, national interests. He noted that a coordinated flight of several small drones could lead to the downing of an aircraft.

"Currently, importing drones requires obtaining multiple permits, which often delays the process significantly. We cannot ignore modern technologies. Studying, using, and distributing UAVs is crucial for our future. We believe the regulation of drone imports in Azerbaijan should be somewhat simplified. Based on my information, the permitting system for importing drones will be significantly streamlined, with the introduction of online tools. However, this does not mean a weakening of control," he added.

Azerbaijan's Minister of Digital Development and Transport, Rashad Nabiyev, promised to address the issue, but no progress has been made since. To import, manufacture, or operate drones, approval is required from five agencies: the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Security Service, the State Border Service, and the Presidential Security Service. After obtaining these approvals, applicants must approach the Civil Aviation Agency under the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport, followed by the Air Navigation Administration (Azeraeronavigation) under AZAL.

"This bureaucracy makes it impossible to study, design, and use drones in startups, businesses, and educational institutions, as violating the law entails criminal liability," said Osman Gunduz, an expert and president of the Multimedia NGO. "Globally and in neighboring countries, drones have long been classified based on their purpose, flight altitude, and other parameters, with proper registration rules," he added.

The expert emphasized that Azerbaijan must significantly simplify its drone import and usage rules. "The powers of the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport have recently been expanded. I hope the ministry will take control of this issue and propose alternative regulatory mechanisms. A digital platform with electronic registration and designated no-fly zones for UAVs needs to be developed," Gunduz concluded.