A postman checks a drone for mail delivery during a recent experiment in a Tokyo suburb. | KYODO

Japan to establish licensing system for out-of-sight drone flights

The license, which the government hopes will be introduced in fiscal 2022, will be age-restricted, and will require operators to pass both a written and practical examination.

The licenses will be only valid for a certain period of time and will have to be renewed. Illegal drone use will lead to the cancellation or suspension of a license.

A public-private panel discussing how to facilitate the use of drones will propose the license system in a report to be complied Tuesday, the sources said.

The government plans to finalize the details and submit a bill to revise the civil aeronautics law to the Diet next year, they said.

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