Almost a year after the regulation for the commercial use of drones entered into force in the country, there are only four companies registered with the General Directorate of Civil Aviation.
Since February 14th, 2018, companies using drones for commercial purposes in Costa Rica must pay $1,874 to obtain the exploitation certificate. So far, few companies in this business have initiated the permit process.
Starting from February 14, companies that use drones for commercial purposes in Costa Rica must pay $1,874 to obtain a certificate of operations.
The regulation set by the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGAC) was published on June 8, 2017 in the newspaper La Gaceta, and states that "...Operations with remotely piloted aircraft systems, intended for aerial services for the commercialization of products or services obtained through remuneration, may only be carried out by natural or legal persons who have a certificate of exploitation ... ".
The new regulation establishes that companies that use drones for commercial purposes must have a certificate of exploitation, whose cost could be around $1,500.
The regulation published by the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGAC) was published on June 8 in the newspaper La Gaceta, and will come into effect on August 13 this year.
A proposal has been made in Nicaragua to make the rules on the use of drones more flexible in order to reduce costs in activities such as spraying of agricultural plantations.
According estimates by UPANIC, up to $40 per acre could be saved in the fumigation of plantations using drones.
The president of the Union of Agricultural Producers in Nicaragua (UPANIC) explained to Elnuevodiario.com.ni that"...the use of drones in agricultural plantations allows analysis to be made of the level of moisture in the soil, the degree of compaction or presence of organic material. 'If you have forty hectares planted with cane and the drone tells you that water is only required in 25 because in the other 15 there is enough water, you save on the cost structure'."
The controversial charge of $1,874 to certify commercial use of drones has been suspended for a period of six months while the Attorney General decides on its legality.
The suspension of the charge applies to all commercial users of drones for a period of six months.At the same time, the government has announced a differentiated regime for micro enterprises registered as such with the MEIC, meaning that they are exempted from the payment of $1,874 for certification.
The total value of the use of drone technology in the future in agriculture is estimated at $32 billion and in infrastructure services, the figure is more than $45 billion.
A comprehensive report by PriceWaterhouseCoopers points to the business potential of the drones market and the application of this technology in different productive sectors such as infrastructure, agriculture, services, telecommunications, transportation, safety and mining, among others.
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The government affects the activity with bureaucratic costs of more than $3,500 for companies who want to use drones.
While in the US there is an online registration process where companies and individuals pay only $5, in Costa Rica the Directorate General of Civil Aviation does not seem to be interested in encouraging the market. An investigation of Elfinancierocr.com reveals that $1,874 has to be paid to obtain certification and to commercially operate the drones, plus $94 per license, an insurance policy for liability and damage to third parties (which is around $1,800), and a course taken whose price varies depending on the school teaching it.
Increased demand has been reported of the commercial use of drones in the country, where 15 formal enterprises are engaged in importing and marketing of these products.
In addition to the 15 formal companies that sell drones, it is estimated that there are approximately 25 informal companies. Demand for these devices have evolved and they are now used for photography, TV commercials, property appraisals and recording social events.
The Civil Aviation Authority will be presenting in April standards to regulate the commercial uses of drones, forcing operators to possess technical records, operating manuals and a policy against damage to third parties.
The rules which the Civil Aviation Authority intends to put forward in April to the Civil Aviation Technical Council exclude their use for recreational or sporting purposes, including them within the practice of aeromodelling and focusing on use for purposes which are "... commercial, scientific, humanitarian, emergency care and others. "
The 2015 regulation that is being prepared by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation establishes the regulation of commercial and recreational use and provision for tuition and certifications.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is seeking to regulate the commercial and recreational use of drones using regulation that will have as its basis what was established by the International Civil Aviation Organization.