Drones on Svalbard
If you are going to fly a drone, you must familiarize yourself with and follow the rules for drone flying. The Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority administers the provisions on drones and model aircrafts. Remember that it is forbidden to disturb the wildlife on Svalbard, cf. Section 25 of the Svalbard Environment Act.
In Longyearbyen, it is not permitted to fly drones closer than 5 km to the airport, unless permission from the control tower has been granted. The pilot must obtain permission himself for each flight
For more information on the restricted area:
Map of Prohibited areas for RPAS, drones and model aircrafts in Longyearbyen
All pilots of model aircrafts and drones with a camera or weight of 250 grams or more must register at flydrone.no.
In addition, there are requirements for the pilot's competence. The requirements increase in line with the risk of flying. The Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority (CAA Norway) administers regulations on drones and model aircrafts.
Read about the regulations for the use of drones: Drones (CAA Norway)
The National Security Authority (NSM) and the Norwegian Data Protection Authority provide information on which rules apply to filming and photography from the air.
Read more about this:
Airborne Sensor Systems (NSM)
Drones - what is legal? (The Norwegian Data Protection Authority)
Ny-Ålesund
Around Ny-Ålesund airport, it is forbidden to fly drones in a zone with a radius of five kilometers. More information about the flight ban:
Rules for unmanned aircrafts in Ny-Ålesund (PDF)
Ny-Ålesund has a zone of 20 km around the city with radio silence. This means that in practice there is a ban on flying drones in Ny-Ålesund and in the entire Kongsfjorden. The Norwegian Communications Authority manages the frequency resources in Norway.
For more information about radio silence in and around Ny-Ålesund, contact Kings Bay AS and the Norwegian Communications Authority.