A MAN WHO operated a large drone at a busy shopping centre in Galway city has been fined €5,000. 

The incident, involving a drone weighing over 6kg, happened at the Galway Shopping Centre on the Headford Road in October 2022. 

It was reported to the IAA by a member of the public. 

The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) brought the prosecution forward to Galway District Court today. 

The defenant, John Lane, pleaded guilty to multiple offences under the Irish Aviation Authority Act of 1993. 

Judge Mary Fahy ordered Lane to pay costs of €5,000. 

The IAA said that despite his experience as a drone pilot, the operator did not have the appropriate authorisation to fly close to people or commercial areas with a drone of this size. 

The Authority said his actions posed a potential safety risk to the families and shoppers who use the car park at the shopping centre. 

It said flying over people is considered a particularly high-risk activity, as those under the drone cannot safely move away if it malfunctions. 

“As Ireland’s Aviation Regulator, the safety of the public is our priority,” the IAA’s investigator Brian Thornton said. 

“The onus is on those who operate drones to do so safely and within the scope of the law, which in this case is EU-wide and in force since the end of 2019,” Thornton said. 

“The drone used in this instance weighed the equivalent of a bowling ball. Had it lost control, it could have posed a significant risk to people on the ground. The operator has admitted he was at fault.”