If Shenzhen can hold drone shows, why can’t Hong Kong?

Hong Kong has canceled two consecutive drone exhibitions over safety concerns, a leading expert said, after the cancellations sparked questions about how neighboring Shenzhen was able to continue its performances.

As many as 330,000 people were disappointed on Tuesday, during the national holiday, when a panda-themed drone show, planned to precede a fireworks display, was interrupted just minutes before the scheduled time.

Authorities announced that the event was canceled due to ionospheric scintillation, an astronomical phenomenon mainly caused by solar activities and which results in poor GPS signal.

It was the second night in a row that a drone show was canceled due to this phenomenon.

Sky Yeung King-sheung, president of the DNT FPV Drone Association, said on Wednesday that a poor GPS signal could cause drones to deviate from their designed trajectories and collide. The gap is not acceptable if it exceeds 10 cm (four inches), he added.

But Shenzhen continued with successive drone demonstrations in five districts, as planned on Tuesday.