Tourist faces €113,000 fine for flying drone over Rome's Colosseum

Colosseum in Rome, Italy
Colosseum in Rome, Italy



A French tourist who was arrested in Rome for flying a drone over the Colosseum could be hit with a €113,000 fine.

The holidaymaker was charged with violating Italian aviation rules and the drone was confiscated after he flew it over the historic amphitheatre on Thursday.

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A spokesperson for the Italian Civil Aviation Authority, Enac, told The Local: "Tourists are often caught flying drones. For most urban flights people will need to obtain a permit and we invite people to read our guidelines before they try anything."

Current guidelines say drones can be flown above 230ft and must remain within 490ft of the pilot at all times. But laws state that third-party insurance must be carried and drones cannot be flown over populated areas or railways, factories and roads without permission from Enac.

In December, two Israeli tourists were arrested for flying a drone over the Vatican.

They used a high-resolution camera attached to a quadcopter to capture photos of St Peter's Square and the Tiber River.

According to the Daily Mail, the 33-year-old men were detained on Umberto Bridge and ordered to land the drone.

Drones have been banned from a number of tourist attractions. In France, flying one illegally could land you with a €75,000 fine.

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