The Audit Commission has advised the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) to enhance its verification procedures for registering drones following the discovery of discrepancies in the system. The commission examined over 24,000 drone registrations on the Electronic Portal for Small Unmanned Aircraft (eSUA) as of June and found several irregularities.
One major issue identified was the incorrect recording of drone weights in the database, leading to some drones being classified in the wrong category. Additionally, numerous drones were found to have duplicate serial numbers, which could create confusion and hinder accountability.
Furthermore, the report highlighted instances where eSUA account holders deleted their accounts without deregistering their drones, potentially leaving unmanned aircraft without a designated responsible person. This poses a safety risk and could result in regulatory violations.
Moreover, the commission noted that thousands of registrations were still “under verification” as of June 30, with some cases languishing in this status for over two years. This backlog was attributed to the streamlining of the registration process, which omitted the requirement for owners to submit a photograph of the registration label attached to their drones.
In response to these findings, the commission recommended that the CAD closely monitor and expedite the processing of registrations under verification. It also suggested that the department intensify efforts to educate tourists about the requirements under the Small Unmanned Aircraft (SUA) Order to prevent violations.
Victor Liu, the director-general of Civil Aviation, expressed his agreement with the commission’s recommendations and acknowledged the need for improvements in oversight. Moving forward, CAD will need to implement measures to address the identified issues and ensure compliance with drone registration regulations.
Overall, the audit report underscores the importance of maintaining accurate drone registration records and enforcing regulatory compliance to uphold aviation safety standards. By enhancing oversight and implementing the recommended measures, CAD can strengthen its drone registration process and promote responsible drone operation in Hong Kong.