SINGAPORE: In the first case of its kind in Singapore, a company was charged with flying an unmanned aircraft (UA) outdoors without a permit.

The Singapore branch of civil engineering company LT Sambo Co, previously known as Sambo E&C Co, was charged on Tuesday (May 28) with operating a small drone along Marine Parade Road in the course of its business.



The company is accused of flying a DJI Phantom 4 weighing 1.38kg along the road on Nov 17, 2017, without a Class 1 activity permit.

According to tech company DJI's site, the DJI Phantom 4 has a one-inch 20-megapixel sensor and can record UHD 4k (4096x2160) videos at 60 frames per second.

The prosecutor told the court that this is the first case of its kind.



If found guilty of operating an UA without a permit, the company can be fined up to S$20,000.



A representative for the company told the court that LT Sambo Co intends to plead guilty.

District Judge Adam Nakhoda fixed the date for the plea on Jun 18.

Responding to CNA's queries, a Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) spokesperson said the authority takes a serious view of errant operations of UAs "which pose threats to aviation or endanger public safety".

"(We) will not hesitate to take enforcement action against UA operators who contravene regulations.

"We remind companies and members of the public to operate their UAs safely and responsibly, and with the necessary permits," said the spokesperson.

