Dutch government documents have revealed a US data company approached a Dutch drone operator with a contract to fly drones equipped with thermal cameras over petrochemicals sites in the Antwerp-Rotterdam-Amsterdam (ARA) region, the Netherlands.
AD News reports that the drone company rejected the offer and notified the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT). The company reported confidentially to the ILT: ‘We are not more Catholic than the Pope, but this really goes too far, We came to the conclusion that this cannot be done without permission. Apart from the moral aspect – it really feels a bit like espionage – a safe execution is impossible.’
As the data company had expressed interest in using another ‘party or helicopter’ to obtain the images, the ILT submitted the case to the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security.
The AD News report also states: ‘Storage tanks at these industrial complexes are part of the vital infrastructure. Flying over these installations without the knowledge of the companies is prohibited. The ILT confirms that drone companies flying over vital infrastructure must always coordinate their flights with the operator in advance.’
