"Complex Flight Approval Procedures...
Key Issues to Resolve"
Gyeonggi Province is conducting safety inspections of apartment construction sites using drones ahead of the thawing season. Photo by Gyeonggi Province
There have been calls for the removal of regulations to enable the use of drones at construction sites. With the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI), drones are also expected to grow in the future, necessitating appropriate responses.
On the 1st, Suwan Jeong, Associate Research Fellow at the Korea Construction Industry Research Institute, stated in the report titled "Development Directions and Implications of Drone Technology for Construction Automation" that "there are various regulations and institutional constraints on using drones at construction sites, particularly the complexity of flight approval procedures and the obligation to register drone bodies, which need to be addressed."
He explained, "To fly drones in no-fly zones, controlled airspace (within a 9.3 km radius around airports), or at altitudes above 150 meters, prior flight approval must be obtained," adding, "These approval procedures are complex and time-consuming, limiting the use of drones at construction sites."
He also noted, "Drones exceeding a maximum takeoff weight of 2 kg must be registered with the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, and the registration number must be displayed on the drone body," emphasizing, "This poses restrictions on operating heavy-lift drones capable of transporting materials at construction sites."
To resolve these issues, Associate Research Fellow Jeong proposed the digitalization and simplification of flight approval procedures. Additionally, he suggested that public institutions operate drone rental and professional pilot support programs to help construction companies adopt and utilize drones without financial burdens.
The global commercial drone market size is expected to reach $1.4458 trillion by 2034, up from $60.37 billion (approximately KRW 88.3213 trillion) last year. However, it is pointed out that the utilization of drones in the domestic construction industry remains lower compared to the global level. Furthermore, with the growth prospects of the drone sector alongside AI technology advancements, proactive measures are deemed necessary.
Associate Research Fellow Jeong stated, "In the field of drone regulations, Korea received below-average scores in network-based authentication systems, electronic identification systems, Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone allowance policies, and Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) systems," adding, "This indicates the need for regulatory relaxation and institutional improvements. While the industrial demand sector showed levels similar to the global market, more active industrial demand creation is required."
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