DJI, which accounts for an estimated 90% of hobby drone sales in the U.S., announced this week that it will stop geoblocking its drones from flying over airports and military bases. The changes took effect on Monday on both the DJI Fly and DJI Pilot flight apps.
DJI wrote about the changes in a blog, noting that it comes after similar changes were made by the drone company in the European Union last year.
“Areas previously defined as Restricted Zones (also known as No-Fly Zones) will be displayed as Enhanced Warning Zones, aligning with the FAA’s designated areas,” the company’s blog reads. “In these zones, in-app alerts will notify operators flying near FAA designated controlled airspace, placing control back in the hands of the drone operators, in line with regulatory principles of the operator bearing final responsibility.”
The use of drones by civilians in restricted airspace is a big problem, with the most recent high-profile example in the U.S. happening just last week when a firefighting aircraft known as the SuperScooper Quebec 1 had to be grounded after colliding with a DJI drone over the Palisades Fire. The FAA had declared the area restricted and the firefighting craft’s wing was damaged from the collision. The FBI is investigating the incident.
DJI first started geofencing its drones to prohibit them from entering restricted airspace back in 2013, a time when the company notes there were few regulations in the U.S. about drones.
“The geofencing system was created as a voluntary built-in safety feature to help foster responsible flight practices and prevent DJI drone operators from unintentionally flying in restricted airspace, such as around government buildings, airports, or prisons,” the post explains.
But there’s no law that requires that kind of geofencing, and the company says it’s on the user to stay out of areas they’re not supposed to enter.
“This GEO update has been active in the UK and several EU countries since January 2024, starting with European countries that have implemented geographical maps compliant with existing technical standards, such as Belgium, Germany, and France. In June, it expanded to Estonia, Finland, and Luxembourg. The remaining EU countries under EASA jurisdiction will also receive the update this month,” the blog reads.
The announcement has raised eyebrows in the U.S. intelligence community, especially since DJI is based in China and the New Cold War has made relations between Beijing and Washington particularly fraught.
“DJI reminds pilots to always ensure flights are conducted safely and in accordance with all local laws and regulations,” the company wrote. “For flights conducted in Enhanced Warning Zones, drone operators must obtain airspace authorization directly from the FAA and consult the FAA’s No Drone Zone resource for further information.”
English (US) ·