Which activities does the decree address?
Royal Decree 750/2014 regulates aerial firefighting and search-and-rescue activities. It also provides airworthiness and flight-crew requirements for customs, police, coastguard and similar activities. These categories do not all share the same operational provisions.
The BOE consolidated text includes the amendment published on 5 June 2024. Article 1.2(c) excludes unmanned aircraft systems, their personnel and organisations unless their specific rules provide otherwise. Avoid applying this decree indiscriminately to all aviation or drone operations.
Check the operator’s certification with AESA
AESA’s firefighting and search-and-rescue information explains the requirement for a Certificado de Operador Especial (COE). The COE issuance and supervision procedure is the official starting point for operators seeking or holding that certificate.
Confirm the activity, aircraft, operator and approvals before committing to an operation in Spain. An aircraft’s airworthiness status, the operator’s certificate and the conditions for dangerous goods carriage answer different questions.
Dangerous goods require their own assessment
For operations within its scope, TAE.SPO.GEN.150 in Annex IV addresses dangerous goods carriage, operator approval and defined exceptions. It also requires procedures to prevent inadvertent carriage and information for personnel. Do not infer permission to carry a particular item merely from the purpose of the flight.
ICAO confirms that the 2025–2026 Technical Instructions, Doc 9284, apply through 31 December 2026. Consult the applicable supplements and published addenda and corrigenda as well as the edition itself.
For the wider air-transport approval framework, use AESA’s dangerous goods information and the rules for the actual type of operation. Confirm acceptance with the operator before preparing the consignment.
Information to assemble before seeking advice
Prepare a brief identifying:
- The type and purpose of flight, aircraft and operating company.
- The route, dates and countries involved.
- The goods, quantities, condition and proposed packaging, with current safety data sheets where relevant.
- Existing operator approvals and the specific carriage or use proposed.
- Any road or sea legs before or after the flight.
Keep the assessment for each transport mode distinct. Our Spanish road transport guide and IMDG guide provide starting points for the connecting legs.
Contact DGSA to discuss the dangerous goods scope. Operator certification and aviation approvals remain matters for the responsible operator and aviation authority.
Discuss your operation in Spain
Tell us which goods, activities and transport stages are involved. We will discuss the scope of the advice or training you need.