A public dispute over proposed new drone regulatory rules in Belize has erupted in recent days, with the nation’s leading industry body for unmanned aerial systems (UAS) accusing the Department of Civil Aviation of cutting corners on stakeholder consultation to rush the policy into effect. The accusations, leveled late last week by the Belize National Unmanned Aerial System Industry Association, center on claims that a public stakeholder workshop held last month to review the 55-page draft regulation was ended prematurely. According to the association, the early close left more than half of the proposed policy text unexamined, and repeated requests to schedule a follow-up reconvened session have already been rejected by regulators.
The association also raised a second, separate grievance related to transparency: a formal Freedom of Information Act request submitted by the group back in April, which was required by law to receive a response within a 30-day window, has still not been answered as the deadline has long passed.
Local outlet News 5 reached out to Civil Aviation Director Nigel Carter for comment on the accusations this Monday, and Carter pushed back against claims that the consultation process has been improperly rushed. In his response, Carter clarified that the current phase of public input is not the final step of consultation, and that regulators have always planned a second round of review after initial stakeholder feedback is collected.
Carter explained that regulators needed to move the process forward from the initial workshop to stay on schedule, even if the full draft was not reviewed line-by-line during the joint session. “We trust that you understand enough from what we’ve already shown you to review the remaining sections on your own and submit your feedback to us, which we will take into full consideration,” Carter said, outlining the department’s current process.
According to Carter’s timeline, the Department of Civil Aviation expects to finalize an updated draft of the regulations incorporating all submitted stakeholder feedback by June 30. For any provisions that the department decides cannot be altered from the original draft, the agency will publish a formal public explanation of its rationale to help industry stakeholders understand the decision. For changes that are feasible, Carter confirmed that the text will be adjusted to reflect reasonable input.
Carter emphasized that the core priority guiding the new regulations is fulfilling Belize’s international and domestic obligations for shared airspace management. “We must always keep front and centre that it is a shared airspace. It is a situation whereby drones will be introduced into an airspace that’s already populated by manned aviation,” he noted, highlighting the safety imperatives that make timely regulatory action necessary.
On the outstanding Freedom of Information Act request, Carter acknowledged the delay but told reporters that the relevant documentation is still being compiled, and the full response will be released to the association within approximately seven to 10 days.