Goa bans drones, unscheduled flights near BRICS summit venue

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Panaji: All unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones, para and sports gliding, hot air ballooning have been banned up to 100 km from the main venue of the BRICS summit by the South Goa district administration from October 14, a government spokesperson said on Wednesday.

"The ban is on low-flying objects such as para gliders, hang gliders, hot air balloons, aero models, airborne video cameras/drones and similar short-range aerial vehicles up to a distance of 100 km around the Taj Exotica hotel from October 14," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson also said that air space restrictions had been imposed around 300 km from the same hotel from 4 p.m. on October 14 to 4 p.m. on October 17.

Flights shall also not be permitted to take-off and land at Goa's Dabolim airport and subsidiary airport within the area during the same period.

"Only flights by the scheduled flight operators, Indian Air Force, Border Security Force, Indian Navy and Coast Guard flights, army aviation helicopter flights undertaking airborne quick reaction teams missions and casualty immediate medical evacuation will be permitted," the spokesperson said.