Stakeholders from the aviation and technology sectors will today converge in Kigali to discuss use and management of drones by the aviation industry.

The three-day workshop on Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), commonly called drones, will convene civil aviation authorities, air navigation providers and operators from nine Eastern and Southern African countries, according to a press statement from Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority (RCCA).

International experts from the International Civil Aviation Organisation in Montreal, Canada will train regional sector players on how to handle challenges they face when aviation regulators, air navigation service providers and operators embrace drones in their daily activities, RCCA added.

"As drones increasingly become frequently used aeronautical gadgets for purposes like leisure and providing lucrative solutions in the business sector, they need to be professionally incorporated and managed within the aviation sector,” the statement said.

It added that the workshop will provide guidance and impart skills on how the drone activities can be conducted in a safe and secure manner thus avoiding accidents and incidents that can lead to loss of lives and property or be used in unscrupulous ways.

Rwanda promulgated regulations on drones in May 2016 and the technology has been incorporated to help in the air traffic management of their activities.

The workshop, which is expected to be opened by the Minister of State for Transport in the Ministry of Infrastructure, starts today and ends on Thursday November 16.

Areas of focus

The workshop will, among others, focus on emerging challenges faced by states, operators, or air navigation service providers, and there will be round-table discussions between regulators, drone operators, manufacturers and service providers, including ANSPs, aerodromes, to analyse and discuss practical examples of different RPAS operational and regulatory environments that affect or challenge the management of drone activities.