Understanding Changes to Drone Rules

Tracey Larsen
May 26
1 min read

New Drone Rules: What Aerodrome Operators Need to Know

New Zealand's drone rules have just had a major update. If you operate an aerodrome, here is what you need to understand about the changes to Part 101 and AC101—and how they affect your workload.

Shielded Operations Are Now More Flexible

The biggest change for aerodrome operators involves shielded operations. Drones can now fly up to 33 feet (10 metres) above the shield itself—previously they could not exceed the shield height. This means more drone activity near your aerodrome may qualify as shielded, requiring no agreement, notification, qualification, or observer.

However, the definition of a 'barrier' remains unclear. Without published guidance, you risk inconsistent interpretations and potential safety gaps.

The Unshielded Problem Remains

For unshielded operations within 4km, drone pilots still need:

Agreement with you as aerodrome operator
Recognised qualification
Observer present

This means you continue receiving individual inquiries, assessing requests, and managing liability—unpaid work that interrupts your day.

A new Approach - Publish Your Expectations on your Aerodrome website

Rather than handling drones reactively, proactive aerodromes are shifting to published guidance.

A Drone Information Publication (DIP) sets out your specific hazards, flight paths, and conditions in a simple two-page document. Drone Pilots self-brief. You review only non-standard requests.

The new rules support this approach. With shielded operations expanded, clear published expectations become even more critical for managing the remaining unshielded inquiries professionally and safely.