В Болгарии ужесточают штрафы за нарушения правил использования дронов

Bulgaria is preparing tougher penalties for drone violations, with fines ranging from €15,000 to €50,000 under proposed changes to the Civil Aviation Act. The government says the stricter sanctions are needed to improve airspace security, but representatives of the drone community argue that a uniform minimum fine could be excessive for less serious administrative violations. Anton Puliyski, chairman of the United Drone Society Association, said the main concern is not the higher maximum penalty but the sharp increase in the minimum sanction. Under the current rules, fines for administrative violations range from €1,500 to €5,000. They can apply, for example, when people operate drones without registration or fly without being aware of certain requirements. The proposed amendments would raise the minimum fine to €15,000, while the maximum would reach €50,000 in more serious cases. Puliyski said the drone community believes the sanctions should reflect the severity and circumstances of each violation rather than imposing the same high starting point across different cases. The association is calling for a more flexible approach that would allow authorities to distinguish between minor administrative breaches and violations that pose a genuine threat to aviation safety. The issue has also drawn comments from aviation expert Todor Ivandzhikov, who said the increase in the upper limit of the fine was not itself problematic. In his view, the current penalties for unauthorized drone operations in airport areas are too low. The debate therefore centers largely on the minimum threshold. While authorities are seeking stronger deterrence amid concerns over airspace security, drone operators warn that a €15,000 starting fine could be disproportionate when the violation does not involve an immediate or serious danger.