Drone tech boosts efficiency

The Government launched the first batch of low-altitude economy (LAE) Regulatory Sandbox pilot projects in March and these projects are being rolled out progressively.

Greater efficiency: The application of drone inspections significantly improves the efficiency of inspecting overheads lines and towers.

Drone drill

Under the framework of the sandbox pilot projects, CLP Power’s drone team began a beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) pilot scheme to inspect overhead lines at a test site in Sai Wan in Sai Kung.

CLP Power Principal Manager - Logistics & Transport Edward Chan said under the LAE Regulatory Sandbox pilot projects, the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) has relaxed the existing restriction on BVLOS operations to allow a drone to fly beyond a pilot's line of sight.

“We submitted four inspection routes to the Government, covering overhead line facilities in some sparsely populated areas and also urban districts.

“In April, we began the BVLOS operation in one of the pilot sites, which is in Sai Wan of Sai Kung. We carried out a test flight under different scenarios, including manual operation by remote pilots and also automated inspection of our outdoor power facilities. Although Sai Wan is relatively remote, but the signal reception during the trial was smooth.”

Smart inspection: With the use of beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations, engineering staff can quickly assess the equipment and components in remote or hazardous areas under inclement weather conditions.

Safety first

The company has an extensive power transmission and high-voltage distribution network. Overhead lines are in particular more vulnerable to extreme weather and environmental conditions.

In view of increasing extreme weather events, the company has stepped up drone inspections of outdoor power facilities to ensure a stable power supply.

Mr Chan explained that most of the company’s outdoor transmission lines and towers are located in remote areas. Each team of engineering staff used to carry out inspections by patrols, covering an average of only around 5km a day, but with the use of drones, they expect a more than four-fold increase in the efficiency of inspections.

“For emergencies and severe weather conditions, BVLOS operations are particularly crucial because a fallen tree, landslides or road blockages might prevent our engineering staff from reaching the affected area.

“With the use of BVLOS operations, our engineering staff can operate drones from a safe location, quickly assess the equipment and components in remote areas and hazardous areas, so it can significantly improve the efficiency of maintenance work and also reduce the impact on customers.”

Efficiency boost: CLP Power Principal Manager - Logistics & Transport Edward Chan says they expect the pilot project to bring a more than four-fold increase in the efficiency of inspections.

Law change

To promote the development of Hong Kong's low-altitude economy, the Government has started work in various areas, including legislative amendments.

CAD Operations Officer Nicole Law noted that to tap into the potential of heavier small unmanned aircraft (SUA) the Government is now working to amend the current SUA Order to add a new Category C aircraft to cover unmanned aircraft weighing more than 25kg but not more than 150kg.

“At the same time, provisions will be introduced in the Air Navigation (Hong Kong) Order 1995 to facilitate the trials of various unconventional aircraft in Hong Kong, such as unmanned aircraft weighing over 150kg, so that the emerging technologies for LAE can be trialled under specified conditions, provided that aviation safety requirements are met.”

The amendments to the Small Unmanned Aircraft Order and the Air Navigation (Hong Kong) Order 1995 were published in the Gazette on May 23 and the legislative amendment proposals were tabled in the Legislative Council on May 28. It is expected that both amendments will come into effect in mid-July 2025, she added.

Legal facilitation: Civil Aviation Department Operations Officer Nicole Law says amendments to the Small Unmanned Aircraft Order and the Air Navigation (Hong Kong) Order 1995 are expected to come into effect in mid-July 2025.

Anti-drone lasers used near the southern border by the U.S. military and Homeland Security to combat cartel drones are safe and shouldn’t necessitate airport closures, the Federal Aviation Administration announced Friday after a review prompted by airspace closures in Texas earlier this year.

The FAA and Defense Department have signed an agreement outlining the safety precautions that they say will protect travelers anytime these lasers are used, but their statement didn't spell out what those safeguards will be.

The FAA didn’t immediately respond to questions seeking more details about the agreement.

In early February, the FAA closed the airspace around the El Paso airport for several hours after another agency used a counter-drone laser without notifying the aviation safety regulator. That left many travelers scrambling to find new flights. A second, more limited airspace closure later that month followed the military shooting down a drone owned by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

A demonstration of the lasers conducted last month at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico convinced the FAA that they can be used safely.

"We will continue working with our interagency partners to ensure the National Airspace System remains safe while addressing emerging drone threats,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said in a statement.

Drones are commonly used along the border by Mexican cartels looking to deliver drugs or surveil officers. Officials told Congress last summer that more than 27,000 drones were detected within 1,600 feet (500 meters) of the southern border in the last six months of 2024.

The use of armed drones regularly carry out devastating attacks in the Ukraine and Iran wars highlights the threat.

Lawmakers in Congress said they are glad to see the agencies working together better now. But Democratic senators who raised questions after the anti-drone laser uses in February say they need detailed answers before they can be sure the lasers are safe. The FAA has not yet held a briefing for Congress.

“It is absolutely critical that meaningful interagency collaboration continues — the FAA must be at the table whenever any counter-UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) is deployed that could impact the safety of our national airspace,” said Rep. Rick Larsen, who is the ranking Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

In the second incident, the military used the laser to shoot down a “seemingly threatening” drone flying near the U.S.-Mexico border on Feb. 26. It turned out the drone belonged to Customs and Border Protection, lawmakers said.

That led the FAA to close the airspace around Fort Hancock, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of El Paso.

The Trump administration has said it was working to halt an incursion by Mexican cartel drones. U.S. Army Brigadier General Matt Ross said that this agreement will allow the use of the most advanced tools to defend the homeland.

“By working hand-in-hand with the FAA and our interagency partners, the Department of War is proving that these cutting-edge capabilities are safe, effective, and ready to protect all air travelers from illicit drone use in the national airspace,” Ross said.

The U.S. government has handed out more than $250 million to help states prepare to respond to drones before hosting World Cup matches and celebrations planned this summer for the country's 250th birthday.

Another $250 million in grants will be awarded later this year to strengthen the nation’s drone defenses.

FILE - People stand in line at check-in counters at El Paso International Airport, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in El Paso, Texas. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee,File)