Article 132-92 emergency exception: bear-prevention flights may qualify without a confirmed sighting

In plain language

MLIT clarifies that flights to prevent damage by wild animals, including bear countermeasures, were added on 28 November 2025 to its list of cases that may qualify for the special exception under Article 132-92 of the Civil Aeronautics Act, and that this is not necessarily limited to cases where a bear has been sighted: a flight may also qualify where the likelihood of a bear appearing is high and the preventive flight is urgent (for example, a bear sighting reported in a neighbouring municipality, or large-animal footprints found). The no-sighting clarification is stated for bears only. MLIT describes these only as cases that may qualify; the Article 132-92 exception itself remains limited to flights by the national government, a local government, or persons conducting search or rescue at their request, for the emergency purposes defined in the Act and Ordinance, and must follow MLIT's operational guideline for Article 132-92 flights, including its flight safety measures. It does not let any private operator invoke the exception on its own initiative.

Requirement as structured

MLIT clarifies that flights to prevent damage by wild animals, including bear countermeasures, were added on 28 November 2025 to its list of cases that may qualify for the special exception under Article 132-92 of the Civil Aeronautics Act, and that this is not necessarily limited to cases where a bear has been sighted: a flight may also qualify where the likelihood of a bear appearing is high and the preventive flight is urgent (for example, a bear sighting reported in a neighbouring municipality, or large-animal footprints found). The no-sighting clarification is stated for bears only. MLIT describes these only as cases that may qualify; the Article 132-92 exception itself remains limited to flights by the national government, a local government, or persons conducting search or rescue at their request, for the emergency purposes defined in the Act and Ordinance, and must follow MLIT's operational guideline for Article 132-92 flights, including its flight safety measures. It does not let any private operator invoke the exception on its own initiative.

Original regulatory text

昨年11月28日に「航空法第132条の92の特例適用の対象となり得る事例」に、クマ対策を含む獣害を未然に防ぐための飛行に関する事例を追加したところです。 昨今のクマの出没事案を踏まえ、改めて当該特例を周知すると共に、本件が必ずしもクマが目撃された場合に限らず、クマ出没の蓋然性が高く、その予防的措置のために緊急性がある飛行を行う場合においても当該特例の適用対象となり得ることを補足いたします。 - 例：近隣の自治体でクマの目撃情報があった場合、大型動物の足跡が発見された場合 等

Applies when

country

Japan

purpose

Emergency purposes under Article 132-92 (Ordinance Art. 236-89: search or rescue), as interpreted in MLIT's list of qualifying cases

scope note

No-sighting clarification stated for bears; wider animal-damage prevention appears only as a listed case type

eligible operators

National government, local governments, or persons conducting search or rescue at their request (Ordinance Art. 236-88)

related live rules

babba211, 3a48049a, 9bcf08ca

regulatory category

Specific