The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) has announced that it will establish a long-term drone safety zone over Cork City, ensuring the safe integration of drone operations in one of the country’s busier airspace environments.
The IAA’s decision follows a public consultation on the temporary Cork Beyond Visual Line-of-Sight (BVLOS) Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Geographical Zone (UGZ T2) and includes an important update: the additional T2‑specific advance coordination is removed and local drone pilots flying within Visual Line‑of‑Sight (VLOS) will revert to the coordination requirements that existed prior to the introduction of the T2 zone. The IAA notes that BVLOS drone flights will still be subject to full advance authorisation and said the changes maintain stringent aviation safety standards while easing requirements for lower-risk drone activities.
“A UAS Geographical Zone is purely an airspace safety tool,” the IAA said. “It does not rezone or change airspace ownership, does not make planning or commercial decisions, and by itself does not authorise any specific drone project or delivery service. Instead, the zone provides a structured safety framework for drone operations in complex environments solely to enhance aviation safety.”
The IAA pointed to strong public interest in the consultation, with 662 submissions received (about 95% from the Cork region). Most respondents were members of the public concerned about noise or privacy, with a smaller portion from registered drone operators. Fewer than one in ten responses directly addressed technical aspects of the proposed zone itself or its regulatory function.
Among those respondents, a primary concern was the potential burden of requiring prior coordination for ordinary VLOS drone flights in Cork’s airspace. After reviewing safety assessments and considering the consultation feedback, the IAA has decided that the advance coordination requirement for VLOS operations within the Cork T2 zone will be removed. VLOS drone operators will simply continue to follow standard drone safety rules – keeping drones within sight and away from other aircraft – without any added paperwork or permissions. All BVLOS drone flights in the zone will still require explicit IAA approval.
The Irish Aviation Authority will formally establish the Cork T2 UAS Geographical Zone on a long-term basis as a “Safety Information” zone. The IAA will act as the controlling authority for the zone and will periodically review the arrangement to adapt to any future changes in technology or safety needs. A revised Aeronautical Notice detailing the permanent Cork UGZ and its operating conditions will be published separately in the coming days.
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