Beijing bans ownership of drones and announces buyback program

The regulations also apply to tourists. The city banned bringing drones to Beijing about six months ago. However, ownership was still permitted as long as you officially registered the drone and linked it to your identity.

Beijing is also the center of power for the ruling Chinese Communist Party, which is why stricter security regulations often apply in the city. The metropolis with more than 20 million inhabitants has particularly strict rules, even though China actually promotes the drone economy. In other major cities in the country, such as the high-tech metropolis of Shenzhen, people can already have coffee and food delivered to them by drone in selected locations.

In Beijing, it was only in June that a small plane flew into the largest skyscraper in the center of the city, even though strict flight rules already applied back then and the airspace controlled by the army over the city center was virtually like a no-fly zone. The pilot was killed and 13 other people were injured.

However, it is unclear whether the aircraft accident played a role in tightening the existing regulations for drones. Those who still own drones can now sell their aircraft through a buyback program or have them sent from the city area to another location until November 15th.