Civil engineering firm charged with illegally flying drone along Marine Parade Road

SINGAPORE — In the first such case to come before the courts, a civil engineering company was charged on Tuesday (May 28) with flying a drone in public without a permit.

Court documents showed that the Singapore branch of LT Sambo, formerly known as Sambo E&C, did not have a Class 1 activity permit when it operated a small unmanned aircraft around Nov 17, 2017 for business purposes along Marine Parade Road.

The drone was a DJI Phantom 4, which has since been discontinued by its manufacturer. It was not stated what LT Sambo was using it for.

LT Sambo, which is based in South Korea, faces one charge under 72F(3)(b) of the Air Navigation Order.

If convicted, the firm could be fined up to S$20,000.

Under the law, offenders facing a second or subsequent conviction face up to 15 months' jail and/or a fine of up to S$40,000.

A representative from the company said that it intends to plead guilty to the charge. The case will be heard again on June 18.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said in response to a query from TODAY that it "takes a serious view" of errant operations of unmanned aircraft which pose threats to aviation or endanger public safety.

"(CAAS) will not hesitate to take enforcement action against unmanned aircraft operators who contravene regulations," it added.