The range of fines for operating an unauthorised drone in the vicinity of Palma Son Sant Joan Airport is from 60 euros to 4.5 million.
Under the Air Safety Law, distinctions are made between those with qualifications and those without. For professionals, the minimum fine is 4,500 euros, but for very serious cases the maximum can be €4.5 million. For unqualified individuals, the fines start at 60 euros but can be as high as €225,000. The sanctions regime also takes into account whether there was any commercial activity; this can mean a higher fine.
Regulations state that a drone cannot be flown within eight kilometres of an airport. “Depending on the severity of the incident, fines may reach up to €4.5 million for flying over unauthorised areas and violating the safety regulations for this type of aircraft and Spanish airspace.”
Specialist Guardia Civil and National Police units are engaged in trying to locate the operator of the drone that caused a suspension of flights at the airport on Sunday evening. The Air Force base at Son Sant Joan potentially makes the appearance of drones in the vicinity of the airport that much more serious.
The use of drones elsewhere is also subject to regulations. They cannot, for instance, be operated over crowded areas. Earlier this year, a British man faced a hefty fine for filming the correfoc at Palma’s Sant Sebastià Fiestas without authorisation. There can also be restrictions for special security purposes, such as when Spain’s Royal Family is in Mallorca. In 2022, two people were fined for violating the security zone in Palma.
There clearly is particular sensitivity at present because of sightings of drones in European airspace. Further afield, there was a similar incident to Sunday’s a week ago at the airport in Fuerteventura; planes had to be diverted to Gran Canaria.
