What the approval process asks for
Commercial flights are applied for on the CAASL portal, and the Ministry of Defence gives security clearance. The Ministry says a commercial flight must never be declared as a leisure flight. For a commercial application it asks for:
- A request letter from the client on company letterhead, with the location, date and time of the flight and the drone operator's details
- No objection letters from the owner or manager of the property or land
- A no objection letter from the police for flights in public areas
- Extra approvals for protected places, such as archaeological sites and wildlife areas
Timing
Restricted areas on the official drone map need a special clearance requested at least 14 days before the flight. Special operations, such as drone swarms, must reach the Ministry of Defence at least three weeks before. Letters from property owners and the police also take time, so contact us as soon as the dates and places are known.
Film crews coming from abroad
Anyone who flies a drone in Sri Lanka must be registered with CAASL, visitors included. If a pilot already holds a drone licence from another country, CAASL may accept it for more advanced flights, but the pilot still takes its theory exam and medical. Working with a local operator avoids that step for your crew.
Cameras for commercial work
- DJI Mavic 4 Pro: 100 MP Hasselblad camera and two zoom cameras, 6K at 60 fps
- DJI Air 3S: 1 inch main camera and 3x zoom, 4K at 60 fps, good in low light
- DJI Avata 360: films in every direction at once, 8K, so the angle is chosen after the flight
Planning the shots
Outdoor flights are only allowed in daylight, and not in rain, gusty wind or low visibility. Drones may never fly over crowds, so we plan crowd scenes from the side or from a distance.
Tell us what the footage is for, the places and the dates. We check each place on the official drone map and come back with a plan, the approvals it needs and a price.
What you get
- Edited video, short clips and photos, as agreed in the plan
- Video in 4K, 6K with the DJI Mavic 4 Pro, or 8K 360 video
