Flying drones in Hauts-de-France: zones, paperwork and contacts

Who it is for

• Companies, public bodies and consultancies commissioning drone work between Dunkirk, Lille, Amiens, Beauvais and Saint-Quentin
• Foreign and French professional pilots preparing a first job in the region
• Procurement and HSE teams checking that a quote includes the right local formalities

What this guide does not do: It does not replace checking the Géoportail map and NOTAMs on the day: it tells you where to look and what to check, not the state of the airspace on a given date · It does not repeat the national framework (categories, training, standard scenarios): that is the job of the general guide

Contents of the complete guide

1. What changes when you fly in Hauts-de-France (free extract below)
2. Airports, control zones and airfields: the map by département
3. Prohibited areas and sensitive sites: nuclear, defence, industry
4. Coast, parks and reserves: what is protected, and by whom
5. Main cities: key constraint and what to do
6. Prior notification and formalities: step by step
7. Recurring events: when the sky closes
8. Hauts-de-France checklist and official sources

Included: 14 checklist items and 3 decision or reference tables.

Introduction

This regional edition brings together, for the five départements of Hauts-de-France (Nord, Pas-de-Calais, Somme, Oise, Aisne), everything that is specific to the region when you want to fly a drone or commission a mission there: airports and their control zones, permanent prohibited areas, the Belgian border, the protected coastline, what changes city by city, how the prior notification works, and the events that regularly close the sky. It is written first for professional clients (manufacturers, logistics firms, developers, local authorities) and for the pilots who work for them, including operators based outside France.

Read chapter 1 for the overview, then jump to what matches your site: the aeronautical map (chapter 2), prohibited areas (chapter 3), nature and coast (chapter 4), your city (chapter 5). Chapters 6 to 8 are for building the file: formalities, calendar, printable checklist.

Up to date as of 30 September 2026. The exact limits of zones (radius, ceiling, hours) change by decree and through aeronautical publications: always read them, for the date and address of your flight, on the official Géoportail drone restriction map and in the aeronautical information published by the SIA. C-DRONE is neither the French civil aviation authority (DGAC) nor any official body: this guide is a preparation tool, and only official texts are authoritative.

What changes when you fly in Hauts-de-France

The baseline is the same everywhere in France and follows EU regulation 2019/947: open category up to 120 m, specific category beyond that (STS-01, STS-02 or an operational authorisation, since the French national scenarios S1/S2/S3 ended on 1 January 2026), professional open-category flights allowed over public space in built-up areas since the decree of 23 December 2025 (no overflight of people, daytime only), and a prior notification to the préfecture at least 10 working days before any flight over a populated area. What makes the difference here are seven regional features.

1. Exceptional urban density. The Nord is France's most populous département, and the Lille-Roubaix-Tourcoing conurbation runs on through the former coalfield to Valenciennes. Most business addresses are inside built-up areas: the prior notification is the rule, not the exception.
2. Two airport control zones (CTR) covering whole business districts. Lille-Lesquin (Lille metropolitan area) and Beauvais-Tillé (the Beauvais area) mean reading the maximum height allowed at the exact address and, above it, obtaining air traffic control agreement.
3. A nuclear no-fly zone in the middle of the port area. The Gravelines plant is covered by prohibited area LF-P 26 (5 km radius), which bites into the western Dunkirk industrial zone.
4. A Belgian border along the whole northern and eastern edge. A French notification or authorisation stops at the line, even if the drone stays in sight.
5. A heavily protected coastline. Bay of Somme national nature reserve (powered aircraft banned below 250 m), Platier d'Oye and Baie de Canche reserves, the Deux-Caps and Bay of Somme Grands Sites, seal haul-outs and bird colonies.
6. Port and industrial estates under security rules. Dunkirk and Calais combine upper-tier Seveso sites, cross-Channel terminals and security zones: the constraint there is first about land access (port authority, site operator), and only then about airspace.
7. Wind and wind farms. Open plains and the coast shorten flight windows; the region leads France in onshore wind, and every wind farm is an obstacle to plan around (blade-tip height, wake turbulence).

The rest of the guide covers each of these points, département by département, with the formalities to start and the mistakes to avoid.

Frequently asked questions

How do I receive the guide?

Right after payment you are redirected to the complete guide's page. Bookmark it, or print it to PDF (Ctrl+P or Cmd+P, “Save as PDF”). Stripe also emails you the receipt.

Do I get an invoice?

Yes: Stripe generates the invoice and emails it. You can enter your company name and VAT number at checkout.

Is the guide kept up to date?

Yes. The guide's page is updated when the rules change; your access stays valid and you always read the latest version.

Does this guide replace the official texts or a training course?

No. C-DRONE is neither the French civil aviation authority (DGAC) nor a training organisation: the guide explains and organises the paperwork, with links to the official sources, which alone are authoritative.

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