Cork drones: 'Long-term safety zone’ planned for city skies

Irish Aviation Authority will drop controversial temporary measure facilitating Manna deliveries in favour of longer-term rules

A Manna Air Delivery drone in 2020. The Irish Aviation Authority authority previously put a temporary measure in place to facilitate the firm's Cork pilot programme, requiring other drone operators flying within visual line of sight to provide two days’ notice before flying over much of the city. Picture: Jason Cairnduff/Reuters

The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) is to drop controversial temporary measures introduced to facilitate food deliveries by drone delivery company Manna in Cork City, but has unveiled a “long-term safety zone” for the region.

This follows a consultation process in which the IAA received more than 600 submissions drone usage in the city, the vast majority of which related to privacy and noise concerns.