Drone Rules for Sangster International Airport
Sangster International Airport (MKJS) is Jamaica's primary international gateway and is surrounded by controlled aviation traffic corridors. Under Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA) regulations, unmanned aircraft operations are prohibited within 5 km (16,500 ft) of the aerodrome without authorization.
Sangster International Airport (ICAO: MKJS) is an active international airport serving Montego Bay and western Jamaica. The airport handles scheduled domestic and international passenger traffic, charter operations, cargo flights, and general aviation activity throughout the day.
Drone pilots should be aware that significant portions of Montego Bay lie within the airport protection area and may be affected by aircraft arriving and departing at low altitude.
Under Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA) unmanned aircraft regulations:
Unmanned aircraft shall not be operated within 16,500 feet (5,000 meters) of any aerodrome or rotorcraft-designated landing zones, such as helipads.
Additional JCAA operating requirements include:
• Maximum flight altitude of 400 feet (122 meters) above ground level. • Maximum operating distance of 500 meters from the pilot. • Aircraft must remain within unaided visual line of sight (VLOS). • FPV-only operations are not permitted. • Operations must remain at least 500 feet (152 meters) from organized open-air assemblies of people. • Operations must remain at least 165 feet (50 meters) from uninvolved persons. • Flights over private or public property require prior permission. • Commercial drone operations require approval through the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority.
Because Sangster International Airport serves large commercial aircraft and experiences frequent air traffic movements, drone operations inside the 5 km airport protection zone should be considered prohibited unless specific authorization has been granted by the relevant aviation authorities.