In this article, we will be taking a look at the 19 countries where drones are banned. To skip our detailed analysis, you can go directly to see the 5 countries where drones are banned.
When we discuss drones, we'll be talking both about the commercial and recreational drone industry as well as UAVs which have primarily military purposes, and the latter are of course going to be officially banned by all countries and only used in combat. The military drone industry is expected to cross $30 billion by 2030 and will be driven by some of the biggest drone companies in the world. Many countries have either already developed or are developing drones to make it easier to carry out attacks without the risk of loss of life, as seen in the recent Iranian drone attack on U.S. personnel in Syria, leading to a retaliatory airstrike by America.
Currently, drones are being used heavily in the Russia-Ukraine war, and even drones which aren't made for military purposes have been deployed, which we'll discuss later. Meanwhile, Iranian military drones, which have a considerable impact on the battlefield, have been provided to Russia leading to an outcry against Iran from Ukraine's allies, with Iran having provided around 1,700 drones by December 2022. With technology continuing to evolve in the military drone industry, the sky is the future as drones will allow for better accuracy, information and efficiency, though critics say that this will lead to war becoming even more dehumanized than it already is. While military strategists have been expecting drone warfare to grow over the past several years, current events indicate that the time may be here when wars will be fought majorly through drones.
The main improvements in drone technology, be it for military, commercial or recreational purposes, is aimed through AI. We've seen how AI has led to massive breakthroughs in various industries and as a high-tech industry, AI technology on drones should allow for better learning techniques, machine learning, motion control and computer vision. Machine learning can in fact help with allowing the device to correctly tag items, and in places such as a battlefield, even a few seconds delay can spell disaster. One of the companies homing in on this is Shield AI, an aerospace and defense company in the U.S. which is building an AI pilot to operate drones and aircraft without any need for human intervention or even GPS.
Still a relatively new industry. the first commercial drone permit was provided to DJI in 2006, also considered to the be the largest commercial drone company in the world, with a current valuation of $16 billion. Ever since, the drone industry has continued to grow as demand has increased exponentially, with both professionals and enthusiasts purchasing drones. According to Drone Industry Insights, the global drone industry is currently worth over $30 billion, and is expected to continue to grow at a CAGR of 7.8% until 2023. The fact that this growth is expected to continue despite the fact that there are dozens of countries where drones are banned testifies to surging demand for the product and how companies are looking to capitalize on this demand by introducing innovation and additional features.
20 countries where drones are banned
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While the recreational drone market is a big one, and models especially from DJI are incredibly popular, with the company currently said to dominate more than 70% of the global drone industry. While their products are meant for recreational or commercial use, there have been instances of them being used on the battlefield, especially in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war with Russia said to have used various DJI models, leading to the company being called out by Ukraine for being complicit in the war, with the company responding that its products are not created for, nor meant to be used on the battlefield. Additionally, there has been backlash in the U.S. for alleged leakage of personal user data by DJI and there have been calls for blacklisting the company in the U.S. This could have huge ramifications as per Forbes, as U.S. state governments and police are already buying and using thousands of such drones manufactured by China's DJI and Autel, with the Capitol Police exclusively purchasing drones from the latter. However, after the Forbes article was published, the Capitol Police spokesperson confirmed that no unmanned flying vehicles were being used anymore in any capacity. Considering the fact that the U.S. is the biggest drone market in the world, any restrictions imposed by the country could have an amplified adverse impact on the drone industry. Meanwhile, India is another major drone production market with drone startups in the country aiming to boost the drone industry in the country and beyond.
It is still important to remember that drones are benefitting various industries and surprisingly, healthcare is one of them. Automated drone deliveries are being considered by healthcare companies and organizations which will result in freeing up staff to focus on more value-added activities, improve the medical diagnostics process, and increase efficiency, which in turn can result in lower costs to hospitals, many of which are already struggle with rising costs. Drones can also be used to provide pharmaceutical drop-offs at home, which would be a game-changer especially for the elderly or those with disabilities for whom leaving their homes is not an easy task. This is why a team of NHS doctors created Apian, a medical drone company which aims to connect the healthcare industry with the drone industry. Similarly, Zipline is another drone company in the medical space, and claims to be the biggest autonomous delivery company in the world with distribution centers in Ghana, the U.S., Japan, Rwanda and Nigeria. Matternet, one of the few drone companies over a decade old has a vision of making drone deliveries the norm instead of the exception and in 2017, it became the first company ever to operate Beyond Visual Line of Sight drone networks in Switzerland, primarily operating in the medical industry, which is important since Switzerland isn't among the countries where drones are banned, which is also great news for tourists to the country who want to use drones to capture the stunning landscape offered by Switzerland.
While most drone companies aren't listed, those engaged in military drone technology often are as discussed earlier, including Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) and The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) and even AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV), whose drones have been used in the Russia-Ukraine war and their success in this conflict could provide a huge boost in terms of contracts for AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV). One of the few public drone companies which doesn't engaged in the defense industry is EHang Holdings Limited (NASDAQ:EH), whose shares have jumped by 136% YTD, with funding from a high-profile Asian executive cited to be one of the reasons behind the company's improvement.
It is important to remember that it's not just startups which are making inroads in the drone industry, many major multinationals are also getting in on the act, including Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), which has been engaged in building a drone delivery system with Prime Air expected to deliver packages to customers in just a few hours. Customers in The system is known as Amazon Prime Air and was launched in 2022, though so far it has only made 100 deliveries though the company is expecting to make 10,000 deliveries by the end of the year. While Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) has been unable to capitalize on drone delivery potential in its initial launch, things may change with time.
Methodology
We obtained data from various sources including Dronemade, UAV Systems International and UAV Coach, on countries where drones are banned. We have then ranked the countries based on their population as the bigger the population, the bigger the market deprived of drone sales. In some cases, we have included countries where drones are not completely banned, but either limited to only the nation's citizens being able to fly drones, ban on imports or severe restrictions on operating a drone.
19. Antarctica
While technically a continent and not a country, we still wanted to include Antarctica where drone usage is banned outright. This has been done mainly to ensure that wildlife in the continent remains undisturbed.
18. Barbados
According to the Civil Aviation Authority website for Barbados, drone usage was banned in the country, with the ban extended in 2020.
17. Brunei
Unmanned aircraft have been banned in Brunei for many years, though some exceptions exist mainly for commercial drone operators, who require a license or a permit before commencing drone operations.
16. Bhutan
According to the Bhutanese Civil Aviation Authority, the operation and import of drones is strictly banned without prior approval, and strict penalties will likely apply to those breaking the law. This includes import of drones and any usage especially by foreigners in the country.
15. Bahrain
Special permission, which can be quite hard to obtain, is required for drone usage in Bahrain, thus we have included it among the countries where drones are banned. If someone brings drones from abroad to Bahrain, they will most likely be seized at customs. While the country is working on a new law, it could be some time before it comes into force.
14. Kuwait
Operating a drone was already quite difficult in Kuwait, requiring specific permits regardless of whether individuals were operating the drones or companies, but in 2022, it suspended giving even those permits due to threats to air traffic in the country. Even when permits are granted, regulations on operating drones are quite strict.
13. Nicaragua
Nicaragua is one of the few countries in the world which has outright banned the usage of drones,
12. Cuba
Cuba is incredibly strict on drone imports, and so, is one of the nations where drones are banned and any drones imported are likely to be quickly confiscated at customs. While many countries have laxer rules for recreational drones, Cuba's restrictions are imposed regardless of size or weight.
11. Senegal
While many websites incorrectly count Senegal among the countries where drones are banned outright, the truth is actually more complicated. Depending on the type of drone and which category it falls into, drones can be flown in Senegal with limited permission but it can be difficult to obtain the requisite permission.
10. Syria
Military drones are already being used in Syria, which is home to a major proxy war, and so, banning other drones is quite logical in such a situation. Separately, Syria was home recently to an attack by Iranian drones on U.S. personnel, which resulted in immediate retaliation by the U.S. which conducted an airstrike in Syria.
9. North Korea
Everyone knows how strict North Korea is regarding its privacy and it being among the countries where drones are banned is to be expected.
8. Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan's Civil Aviation Agency only allows the import of drones by legal entities and for departmental purposes, while apart from this exception, drones are outright banned in the country.
7. Morocco
Morocco is one of the countries which has outright banned drones and while special permission, can be obtained for commercial drone use, it is highly risky and has a very low success rate.
6. Iraq
Iraq is well-known for thorough bag checks and if you're bringing a drone from abroad to one of the countries where drones are banned, the drone will likely be confiscated. While the country doesn't have proper codified drone laws, it is not recommended right now to fly a drone in Iraq.
