Milan, Flying a Drone in Piazza Duomo: €33,000 Fine and Complaint for a Mexican Tourist

Read the original article on la Repubblica (in Italian). By Luca De Vito

He thought he was doing nothing wrong by launching his Mavic Air 2 drone with camera and GPS from the Duomo’s parvis: for him, it was just a way to take videos and photos from unique angles. But when the officers from the Duomo Operational Unit intervened to make him land the device, the 41-year-old Mexican tourist, owner of the drone, realized he was in serious trouble. The officers reported him for violating the Air Navigation Code and issued a fine of €33,000.

It happened Tuesday afternoon, a few hours before the start of the Italy match, in a Piazza Duomo where tourists have recently returned. The regulation under which the man was penalized assimilates the drone—in this case, a small model of just half a kilo—to an aircraft, which therefore cannot take flight without the necessary authorizations.

The officers also seized the device from the man, who will hardly forget this holiday in Milan: Article 1231 of the Code provides for a penalty of up to 3 months for “non-compliance with navigation safety rules.” In the report drafted by the officers, reference is also made to the fact that the drone was flown in Piazza Duomo, which is considered a “critical area.” This is the third drone seizure carried out by the Duomo Operational Unit officers since the beginning of the year.

“However, the penalty appears disproportionate in this specific case,” explains the lawyer Andrea Aloi, who is handling the Mexican tourist’s case, “as it refers to a small drone of about 500 grams used for amateur filming. Furthermore, it is difficult for tourists to be aware of EASA flight rules, and therefore an adequate information campaign, perhaps including the placement of multilingual signs, would be appropriate.”

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