The Official Magazine of IAAPA
Unauthorized drones buzzing over amusement parks have evolved from an occasional nuisance to a critical safety threat. This is why the IAAPA North America’s Public Affairs team acts at the federal level to protect facilities and their guests.
After years of strategic engagement, the public affairs team has made significant progress that will fundamentally change how eligible fixed-site amusement parks can address drone threats. The breakthrough comes as parks nationwide report increasing incidents of unauthorized drone activity over high-traffic areas, creating risks ranging from guest privacy violations to potential collisions with rides and attractions.
The first major development centers on Section 2209 rulemaking, where the public affairs team works with IAAPA members and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to propose a formal petition process that would enable eligible parks to secure permanent airspace restrictions over their facilities. For parks operating in environments with high visitor volumes and complex ride systems, this could provide the long-term airspace protections that have been desperately needed as consumer drone usage continues to skyrocket.
“The attractions industry is built on trust, safety, and innovation, but drone technology and use have far outpaced existing policy, which has created new risks,” says Matt Eckert, president and CEO of Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, and chair of the IAAPA North American Government Relations Subcommittee. “Protecting eligible parks from drone-related threats requires collaboration among policymakers, regulators, and operators to ensure the tools and authorities are in place to mitigate risks and prevent incidents before they occur.”
The second major development is equally critical—the enactment of new federal legislation enabling eligible fixed-site amusement parks to work directly with state and local law enforcement to detect and neutralize drone threats in real time. This new coordination framework gives parks and their law enforcement partners clearer authority to act when unauthorized drones enter protected airspace, a gamechanger for facilities that previously had limited options when facing immediate threats.
“We are working to ensure these federal actions strengthen the industry’s ability to prevent and respond to unauthorized drone threats, while preserving the ability for parks to operate drones for legitimate purposes, including drone shows, inspections, media production, fireworks integrations, and security operations,” says Keith Stephenson, director of public affairs for IAAPA North America. “We will continue working with federal agencies and policymakers to advocate for a risk-based framework—rather than one based solely on attendance—to ensure protections reflect the real-world operating environment of all fixed site amusement parks in the U.S.”
