Drone Laws in Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua & Barbuda Drone Regulations

According to Antigua & Barbuda’s national aviation authority, the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority (ECCAA) flying a drone is legal in Antigua & Barbuda, but we recommend being aware of and compliant with the drone regulations listed below before doing so.

If you’d like to contact ECCAA directly before you travel with any questions you might have, here is their contact information: +1 268 462 0000 / 0907 / contact@eccaa.aero

Why fly a drone in Antigua & Barbuda? To get great aerial shots like these!

General Rules for Flying a Drone in Antigua & Barbuda

Based on our research and interpretation of the laws, here are the most important rules to know for flying a drone in Antigua & Barbuda.

• Drone pilots must maintain Visual Line-of-Sight (VLOS) with the drone at all times, except where permission has been granted by the ATC to do otherwise.
• Scan the physical environment for potential obstacles or persons approaching.
• Maintain a safe distance of no less than 50ft from all obstacles including
  buildings, persons or structures.
• Follow any provisions and conditions issued by the appropriate authorities
  particularly the ATC authorities.
• Follow all of the manufacturer’s recommended practices for the safe operation of
  the Drone.
• Do not operate from any seaport or airport and within any airport approach and departure path in Antigua and Barbuda.
• There should be no unauthorized operations within airport approach and departure areas and specifically within 2.5 – 3 miles north and south of the airport runway center-line as well as 5 miles east and west of the threshold and end of the runway
• Do not fly above 300 ft AGL.
• Do not fly closer than 100 ft laterally from vehicles or an open-air assembly of
  people.
• Do not fly in populous areas including over highways, beaches, stadiums, sporting
  events or festivities without permission.
• Do not fly within or over restricted and prohibited areas, including airports, military bases, prisons or official residences, government buildings, etc.
• Operate at night or in low visibility conditions without permission is prohibited.
• Do not deploy any unauthorized objects from the unit to the ground.
• Specific restricted areas are Pigotts, Fitches Creek, Cassada Gardens, Hodges Bay, Clare Hall, Potters, Skerritt’s Pasture, St Johnsons Village, the Antigua Recreation Grounds, H.M. Prison, Upper Gambles, and North Sound including the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. Additional restricted areas are Fort James, the St Johns Harbor, and Codrington, Barbuda.

For more information on Antigua & Barbuda’s drone laws, see this page.

Know something we don’t about drone laws in Antigua and Barbuda? Send us an email at support[at]horizonap[dot]com. We are not international aviation attorneys and do our best to keep this page up-to-date for drone pilots, but the reality is that given the pace of the small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) industry and how governments are responding, drone regulations in Antigua and Barbuda can change throughout the year, and those changes can be hard to track. If we missed something, please reach out to let us know.

Want to get a feel for the kind of footage you could get flying a drone in South Africa? Here you go: