Drone Restricted Area at the Port of Gdańsk

By Marek Grzybowski

At the Port of Gdańsk, the Drone Restricted Area (DRA) protects cargo handling infrastructure, ship traffic, and the safety of employees and passengers on ferries and passenger ships. Drones are undesirable in the port because they can disrupt port operations, pose a threat to navigation, or hinder rescue services. Any unauthorized flight of an unmanned aircraft within the DRA zone is considered a threat to the security of the port, its facilities, and the safety of employees and people within the port terminal and quay.

Violation of the no-fly zone in the DRA zone is punishable by imprisonment of up to 5 years. A drone operator who unintentionally violates the DRA may face a fine, restriction of liberty or imprisonment for up to one year.

Drone operators who violate the DRA will be subject to fines:
• PLN 10,000 for a flight that violates the conditions in force in a given zone,
• PLN 10,000 for failure to register the operator,
• PLN 4,000 for a flight in the “open” category that violates the rules set out in EU regulations.

Before operating a drone near the Port of Gdańsk, a drone operator must:
1. Register as an operator at drony.gov.pl and assign their drone operator number.
2. Depending on the weight of the drone, it may be necessary to complete free online training and pass an exam.
3. Before each flight, check airspace availability in the Drone Tower app and fly in accordance with regulations, for example, by maintaining visual line of sight and below a maximum altitude of 120 meters.
4. Do not launch a drone without the consent of the site manager – at the Port of Gdańsk, each flight requires obtaining permission after submitting the appropriate documents.

More info: Port of Gdańsk