Drone Rules for Zona da Mata Airport
Critical No-Fly Zone covering the Zona da Mata Regional Airport (SBZM). All unauthorized drone flights are strictly prohibited within this airspace to eliminate catastrophic collision risks with commercial passenger jetliners, regional turboprops,
The Zona da Mata Regional Airport – Presidente Itamar Franco (SBZM), located between the municipalities of Goianá and Rio Novo in Minas Gerais, is the primary commercial aviation gateway servicing Juiz de Fora and the entire Zona da Mata socio-economic region. The airport handles regular, high-capacity commercial jet traffic from major national airlines connecting the region to São Paulo and other national hubs, alongside critical cargo logistics, executive charters, and emergency aeromedical flights.
Because the airfield features a large, modern runway situated in a rolling hill topography, arriving and departing aircraft execute low-altitude instrument (IFR) and visual (VFR) approaches that extend significantly over the surrounding transit corridors and rural-urban zones. Any uncoordinated drone activity within these active flight paths or near the runway environment introduces an extreme risk of a catastrophic mid-air collision. Spontaneous or recreational drone flights within the airfield perimeter, its obstacle limitation surfaces, or its designated security protection grids are completely prohibited under federal law (Brazilian Penal Code, Art. 261).
Sources
Regulatory & Administrative Authorities: Department of Airspace Control (DECEA), National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC), and the airport's concessionaire (Socicam).
Primary Framework: ICA 100-40 (DECEA regulations on Unmanned Aircraft Systems) and Article 261 of the Brazilian Penal Code.
Flight Planning Portal: Airport safety restriction grids, dynamic NOTAMs, and mandatory airspace access coordination are managed via SARPAS NG and Aisweb.