EASA drone categories: A1, A2, A3 and STS explained
EU drone rules under Regulation (EU) 2019/947 split operations into open, specific and certified categories. Most remote pilots work in open or specific categories.
Open category subcategories
- A1 — fly over people (with subcategory limits)
- A2 — fly close to people (certificate of competency required)
- A3 — fly far from people (A1/A3 training sufficient)
Specific category — STS
When standard open-category limits are insufficient, operations move to specific category under a declared Standard Scenario (STS) or operational authorisation.