Key Changes for Drone Operators in Specific Category Starting January 1

Declaring EASA STS

If you are not yet active in the Specific category but aspire to be, it's worth knowing that from January 1, 2024, you can use an EASA Standard Scenario (STS). To do this, fill out a declaration and send it to your national Civil Aviation Authority. Upon confirmation of a fully completed declaration, you can start flying as an operator immediately.

A standard scenario offers the most straightforward way to become active as an operator in the Specific category. However, be aware that you must be able to prove compliance with all operational requirements. This means you still need to work on an operational manual, keep logs, have the right insurance, and handle all other related aspects.

From January 1, in some EU member states, the following two STS can be declared with your national CAA:

STS-01: VLOS above a controlled ground surface in a populated area.
STS-02: BVLOS with airspace observers above a controlled ground surface in a sparsely populated area.

Keep in mind that the current EASA standard scenarios offer little added value. Especially the requirement for a controlled ground surface makes the STS very limited in usability. Additionally, additional procedures apply for operations in controlled airspace (CTR areas). And, importantly, STS-01 and STS-02 assume drones with a C5 and C6 label, which are not currently available (except for two exceptions).

In short: being able to declare an EASA STS is essentially a red herring. You can hardly escape a more complex application based on a PDRA or SORA if you want to operate meaningfully in the Specific category after January 1, 2024.