The German Federal Ministry of Transport (BMV) is reforming access to control zones for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), creating more practical conditions for the safe and predictable operation of professional drones near airports for the first time. UAV DACH considers the new rules an important milestone for the commercial use of UAS in Germany.
Flights within control zones generally require air traffic control clearance from the responsible air navigation service provider. Previous procedures for commercial UAS operations were often cumbersome, time-consuming and difficult to plan.
Based on the BMV’s requirements, DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung is introducing new procedures under which air traffic control clearance will be deemed granted within defined distance bands from the airport reference point, provided that specified altitude limits and other conditions are met. Individual clearance will remain necessary only for flights close to the airport, within approach and departure sectors, or above the permitted altitudes.
The new procedures will allow many professional drone operations to be conducted without prior case-by-case coordination. At the same time, they will significantly reduce the administrative burden on both operators and air navigation service providers.
“The DFS procedures, which will enter into force on August 6, 2026, largely meet the requirements put forward by the European industry,” says Dr Gerald Wissel, Chairman of the Executive Board of UAV DACH. “For the first time, they provide professional UAS operators with systematic and directly applicable access to large parts of German control zones.”
The previous approval process resulted in delays, additional costs and limited planning certainty, particularly for surveying, transport and maintenance operations, as well as applications in site security, agriculture and forestry. For approximately two years, UAV DACH has continuously raised these constraints with the Federal Ministry of Transport and the responsible authorities and has submitted concrete proposals for a safe, proportionate and commercially viable solution.
UAV DACH’s position is based on the work of its technical committees and close coordination with its members. “An important objective has been achieved, but this is only the beginning. The next logical step is to enable efficient UAS operations in control zones above 100 metres,” says Michael Wieland, Head of the UAV DACH Advisory Committee, which coordinates the association’s technical committees.
UAV DACH advocates the safe and comprehensive integration of unmanned aircraft into the airspace. A key prerequisite is the ability of manned and unmanned aircraft to detect each other reliably by electronic means. The association therefore supports interoperable systems for the electronic identification and position reporting of all airspace users. ADS-L has been developed specifically to support mutual electronic conspicuity between manned and unmanned aircraft in lower airspace. Its widespread implementation could strengthen the safety of all airspace users and provide a basis for opening additional altitude bands to automated UAS operations.
The new procedures will be published on the German federal government’s DIPUL information platform and in the German Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP). This will ensure that access to control zones for unmanned aircraft is documented transparently, authoritatively and comprehensibly for both national and international airspace users. Unmanned aviation will thereby become an integral and visible part of Germany’s regular airspace structure.
Flights within control zones generally require air traffic control clearance from the responsible air navigation service provider. Previous procedures for commercial UAS operations were often cumbersome, time-consuming and difficult to plan.
Based on the BMV’s requirements, DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung is introducing new procedures under which air traffic control clearance will be deemed granted within defined distance bands from the airport reference point, provided that specified altitude limits and other conditions are met. Individual clearance will remain necessary only for flights close to the airport, within approach and departure sectors, or above the permitted altitudes.
The new procedures will allow many professional drone operations to be conducted without prior case-by-case coordination. At the same time, they will significantly reduce the administrative burden on both operators and air navigation service providers.
“The DFS procedures, which will enter into force on August 6, 2026, largely meet the requirements put forward by the European industry,” says Dr Gerald Wissel, Chairman of the Executive Board of UAV DACH. “For the first time, they provide professional UAS operators with systematic and directly applicable access to large parts of German control zones.”
The previous approval process resulted in delays, additional costs and limited planning certainty, particularly for surveying, transport and maintenance operations, as well as applications in site security, agriculture and forestry. For approximately two years, UAV DACH has continuously raised these constraints with the Federal Ministry of Transport and the responsible authorities and has submitted concrete proposals for a safe, proportionate and commercially viable solution.
UAV DACH’s position is based on the work of its technical committees and close coordination with its members. “An important objective has been achieved, but this is only the beginning. The next logical step is to enable efficient UAS operations in control zones above 100 metres,” says Michael Wieland, Head of the UAV DACH Advisory Committee, which coordinates the association’s technical committees.
UAV DACH advocates the safe and comprehensive integration of unmanned aircraft into the airspace. A key prerequisite is the ability of manned and unmanned aircraft to detect each other reliably by electronic means. The association therefore supports interoperable systems for the electronic identification and position reporting of all airspace users. ADS-L has been developed specifically to support mutual electronic conspicuity between manned and unmanned aircraft in lower airspace. Its widespread implementation could strengthen the safety of all airspace users and provide a basis for opening additional altitude bands to automated UAS operations.
The new procedures will be published on the German federal government’s DIPUL information platform and in the German Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP). This will ensure that access to control zones for unmanned aircraft is documented transparently, authoritatively and comprehensibly for both national and international airspace users. Unmanned aviation will thereby become an integral and visible part of Germany’s regular airspace structure.
