Drone use in Indonesia is growing fast — from aerial photography, mapping, and agriculture to drone shows that fly hundreds of units at once. But the sky isn't open space. There are rules about who may fly a drone, where, how high, and what permits they must hold. This article explains the terms and process of drone permitting in Indonesia from the most general — NOTAM, SORA, the ground rules — then narrows to the most complex context: the drone show.
If you only want to know 'what is a NOTAM' or 'what are the drone rules in Indonesia', the opening sections answer that. If you're planning a drone show, the later sections explain what applies and which parts iDrone already handles for you.
The Ground Rules for Flying Drones in Indonesia
The primary legal basis is Minister of Transportation Regulation No. 37 of 2020 on the Operation of Unmanned Aircraft in Indonesian-Served Airspace. It applies to all drones — from hobby units to commercial operations. A few pillars anyone flying a drone should know:
- Registration of drones and remote pilots through SIDOPI, the platform of the Directorate of Airworthiness and Aircraft Operations (DKPPU) — drones over 250 grams must be registered before a flight permit can be requested
- Remote pilot licensing for operators flying professionally
- Altitude limits: operating above 400 feet (about 120 meters) in uncontrolled airspace requires approval from the Director General of Civil Aviation
- Insurance and a flight plan as part of operational readiness
The key principle: the higher an operation's risk, the more requirements come with it. Flying one small drone in daytime, in an empty field, far from airports, and under 120 meters — the risk is low and requirements light. As soon as the operation levels up — at night, above crowds, at altitude, or with many units at once — that's where the terms NOTAM and SORA start to matter.
NOTAM: What It Is and Who Issues It
A NOTAM (Notice to Airmen — now also called Notice to Air Missions) is an official notice to all airspace users about a condition or activity in a specific area of airspace that pilots need to know about. Its content varies: a runway closure, a new obstacle, a procedure change, or — in our context — an activity like a drone show at specific coordinates, altitude, and time window. Put simply, a NOTAM is an official 'sign' in the sky.
A commonly confused point: in Indonesia, NOTAMs are issued by AirNav Indonesia (Perum LPPNPI) — the air navigation services provider — through its AIS/NOTAM Office. The regulator (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) grants operational approval, and that approved activity is then notified to the aviation world via the NOTAM AirNav issues. So a NOTAM is not the permit itself, but its notification mechanism.
Not every drone flight needs a NOTAM. The ones that do are operations that affect shared airspace — flying high, near flight paths, or at large scale. A NOTAM must be filed well before event day, since it involves cross-agency coordination and airspace schedule validation.
SORA: Assessing Risk Before Drones Fly
SORA (Specific Operations Risk Assessment) is a risk-assessment methodology developed by JARUS and widely adopted internationally, including by EASA in Europe. Its purpose: to systematically assess the risk of a drone operation — both on the ground (people below) and in the air (other aircraft) — then determine the level of assurance and procedures required for the operation to be considered safe.
Why does a methodology like this exist? Because drone operations are grouped by risk level. Light operations simply follow the ground rules. Higher-risk operations — internationally called the 'specific' category — require a formal risk assessment before they're allowed. SORA is the standard framework for that assessment, and its result dictates the safety procedures the operator must apply.
Airport Proximity and Congested Airspace
Location matters a lot. Areas near active airports or helipads — or inside an Aviation Safety Operation Zone (KKOP) — require an added layer of coordination with local Air Traffic Control (ATC). In cities like Jakarta, Bali, and Surabaya, these control zones can be quite restrictive and coordination takes longer.
This applies to all drone operations, not just drone shows. The honest consequence: some locations aren't feasible for drone flight under regulation, or are only feasible with certain altitude limits.
How This All Applies to a Drone Show
Now the specific part. A drone show is the clearest example of a 'specific' category operation: hundreds of drones flying simultaneously, at night, often above audience crowds, and sometimes above 120 meters. Practically every layer above applies at once:
- NOTAM required — the activity must be notified to all airspace users
- Formal risk assessment (SORA) — because the scale falls into the specific category
- ATC coordination — if the venue is in congested airspace or near an airport
- Operator registration & credentials — SIDOPI, remote pilot license, insurance
This is why large-scale drone shows can't be booked at the last minute: the permitting takes time, coordination, and no small amount of documentation.
SORA and the Operation Manual at iDrone
At iDrone, SORA isn't just theory. DKPPU uses the SORA approach to ensure our operation manual genuinely complies with the specific risks a drone show operation produces — from take-off and landing procedures, buffer distance to the audience, fail-safe protocols, to emergency handling. In other words, before a show is approved, the way we operate our drones has to demonstrably close the identified risks. This is a safety standard, not paperwork.
How these risks translate into on-the-ground operational protocols, we cover in more depth in our drone show safety guide.
Special-Zone Location Permits
On top of airspace clearance, some locations have their own managing authority that requires separate approval and fees. This is a different layer from NOTAM and flight permits — it's an area-use permit, not a flight permit. The examples we encounter most often for drone shows:
- ITDC (Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation) — manager of special zones such as Nusa Dua (Bali) and Mandalika (Lombok)
- TWC (PT Taman Wisata Candi) — manager of heritage zones such as the Prambanan and Borobudur temple complexes
Heritage venues demand extra care: beyond the zone permit, there are cultural-heritage protection protocols. Our shows in the Prambanan temple area and at the Museum Benteng Vredeburg opening are examples of events at locations with permit layers like these.
What iDrone Already Handles for You
The good news: most of the complexity above isn't your job. For every show, iDrone handles the core airspace permitting as part of the package — including preparing the operation manual and risk assessment (SORA), obtaining operational approval from the aviation authority, coordinating the NOTAM through AirNav Indonesia, and coordinating with ATC where the location requires it. You don't need to deal with these terms yourself.
What should be understood honestly: special-zone permits like ITDC and TWC sit outside our standard permit-handling price. We'll still help arrange them, but the cost is separate and we'll inform you clearly from the start — not a hidden charge that surfaces midway. Our principle is simple: no hidden cost. Anything outside our package is stated transparently before you decide.
Because each location, altitude, and date carries different permitting consequences, the best way to get an accurate total cost is to discuss your event plan directly with our team. Send your event details — date, planned venue, and concept — to WhatsApp +62 897-8906-380, and we'll map out the full permit requirements along with cost estimates, including what's covered by the package and what's separate.
