The commercial use of unmanned aircraft in Hungary

In Hungary, legislature fulfilled its harmonisation obligation in 2021 and adopted a substantial part of the Drone Regulation into the Aviation Act of 1995, but several other laws were also affected by related adaptations.

Hungarian legislation also introduces a new category for unmanned aircraft, namely unmanned recreational aircraft, i.e., devices that do not exceed a maximum starting mass of 120 g, are not equipped with a data recording device, and cannot move more than 100 m away from a remote pilot. Such “toy drones” are freer to use and do not impose obligations on their owners.

Commercial drone users are required to register their drones without weight restriction. Drones are also increasingly being used commercially in Hungary, especially in the construction and media industries.

According to the EU concept, drones should be integrated into the U-Space system, which is still in development in Hungary. With a view to the development of drone use, the Hungarian Drone Coalition was established in spring 2021. One of the coalition’s main tasks is to contribute to the development of a legal system that is designed to ensure safety and produce benefits for the industry.

Autor: Beatrix Fakó