Fined for drone flight
A visitor has been fined NOK 12,000 for illegal drone flight in Longyearbyen.
Today, a visitor flew a drone in the centre of Longyearbyen despite a ban on conducting such activity closer than 5 km from the runway at Svalbard Airport. Prior to the flight, permission for such a flight had not been obtained from the tower at Svalbard Airport.
The Governor of Svalbard has issued a fine of NOK 12,000 and confiscation of the drone. The fine has been accepted.
We would like to remind you that in Longyearbyen it is not permitted to fly drones closer than 5 kilometres to the airport, unless permission has been granted by the air traffic control tower. The entire city of Longyearbyen is therefore within the prohibited zone. In addition, drones are banned in all protected areas in Svalbard, and it is not allowed to disturb wildlife.
More information about the regulations can be found here: https://www.sysselmesteren.no/en/drones-on-svalbard/