New airspace restrictions will take effect in Cork on Friday, significantly limiting drone operators and enthusiasts from flying over large parts of the city without providing two days’ advance notice.
The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) has announced the temporary restrictions, which will remain in place until May, and has begun consultations to make the restricted zone permanent.
Currently, drone operators can fly at varying heights across Cork city and the surrounding area, with only two major red zones prohibiting flights: around Cork Airport and Cork Prison.
From February, the IAA will temporarily expand these red zones to cover Douglas, Cork city centre, the Docklands, Mayfield, and Ballyvolane, between 8am and 10pm.
This means that drone operators will need to request permission from Cork air traffic control at least two days in advance before flying.
Announcing the measures, the IAA said that while it currently allows Visual Line of Sight (VLOS) operations, in which a pilot keeps the drone in sight at all times, a temporary geographical zone will be established to enable Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations, where the pilot does not maintain direct visual contact.
The IAA said the temporary VLOS restrictions aim to ensure the safe conduct of BVLOS flights over the city.
BVLOS operations are rare; only a handful of operators have a license. Currently, Cork has no BVLOS operators, but the IAA expects this to change with the new measures.
One licensed BVLOS operator is drone delivery company Manna, which has expressed interest in expanding operations to Cork.
Last month, Manna’s chief technology officer, Alan Hicks, said the company hopes to operate nationwide by the end of 2026.
The move has sparked criticism from some drone operators, who argue that the changes benefit only a small number of companies while restricting essential services and recreational users.
Concerns have also been raised that emergency services relying on drones may be unable to use them when needed.
“This will have serious impacts on the likes of Missing Person Search and Rescue, the Coastguard and the Civil Defence, just as a few examples,” says Bob Foley, director and accountable manager of Cork-based company Engineers With Drones.
Speaking to the , Mr Foley said anyone flying a drone in Cork city without ATC permission next week — including photographers, young children, or recreational users — will be breaking the law.
“It’s very hard to see who was consulted on this before the decision was made,” Mr Foley says.
“While the IAA has provided a technical reason for the move, it has not justified why BVLOS operators are being favoured here over regular drone users.”
“It would be like if an autonomous car company wanted to use Cork roads to test out its product, which meant no other cars could now use them.”
The IAA is conducting a targeted consultation of airspace users on its proposal to make the measures permanent in Cork city. Submissions are due by 5 pm on March 14, 2026.
The IAA has been contacted for comment.
