Beijing’s drone owners scramble to cash out before ban kicks in on Nov 15

Beijing residents are rushing to sell their drones before the city imposes a ban on their possession and storage. The ban comes into effect on November 15 and forces owners to get rid of their devices by then. Authorities are concerned about airspace safety, following a light aircraft crash into Beijing’s tallest building in June which killed the pilot and injured 13 others.

The ban also comes after a planned expo was cancelled over security concerns. Drone owners can sell their devices at designated buy-back sites and receive a government subsidy of 30% of the resale value, up to 3,000 yuan (RM1,829) before October 31, and 15% until November 14. Alternatively, they can recycle drones for a subsidy of 200 yuan (RM122) or ship them out of Beijing for free.

However, some drone owners feel the buy-back scheme is a "robbery" as it has forced them to lose thousands of yuan on their devices. The large number of drones being bought back has reportedly caused prices to drop by up to 40%.