Legal aspects of air transport safety and the use of drones

Abstract

Over the past few years, interest in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (commonly referred to as drones) has increased. Uncontrolled drone flights poses a threat to air navigation, including air transport. The aim of this article is to identify potential sources of this threat, together with the identification of Polish legal regulations that respond to them. Conclusions will be based on proposals de lege ferenda, i.e., related to the postulated change of legal regulations, in order to limit the risk of incidents. The object of the article is subordinate to its structure, consisting of five parts. In the first part, the concept of unmanned aerial vehicles used by the Polish legislature will be defined, which is necessary because of the inaccuracies surrounding it. The second part will present ways to use drones for civilian purposes. The next part of the article will describe the cases of accident and aerial incidents involving drones. The fourth part focuses on the indication of Polish legal regulations related to the exploitation of drones. The article closes with concise conclusions.