A key requirement of the European Drone Rules is for drone operators to obtain up-to-date information on restrictions that might be in place where they intend to fly (known as “geo-awareness”) and for drone pilots to comply with this information during each flight.
Across Europe, National Aviation Authorities (NAAs) publish official UAS Geographical Zones (UGZ) as part of EASA’s harmonised geo-awareness framework. They are accessible on https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/domains/civil-drones/naa. This EASA webpage serves as a central access point for users, providing links to the official UGZ maps published on the websites of all EASA Member States’ NAAs.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has worked with DJI, to support the transition to the new regulatory framework for drones and to promote greater awareness of safe drone flying among operators and pilots.
In 2013, DJI introduced “Fly Safe” as a voluntary safety feature to help prevent inadvertent drone flights in restricted or sensitive areas. Since 2024, the system has been updated to comply with the geo-awareness requirements.
From January 2026, with the full availability of national UGZ maps, DJI’s class-labelled products will now rely exclusively on official UGZ data published by NAAs. Previous Fly Safe data sets have been removed to maintain alignment with official sources and prevent pilot misunderstanding.
Defining and updating UAS geographical zones is the responsibility of each Member State. All registered drone operators, regardless of the drone’s manufacturer, should consult official UGZ data provided by the NAAs in the country they operate. Having the latest maps and information is vital to ensure safe and legal operations.
