Drones Narrowly Miss UK Airports

Drones were recently involved in four serious near misses at UK airports, the UK Air Proximity Board has said.

16:42 02 February 2016

The UK Air Proximity Board, which investigates near-miss incidents in UK airspace, has said that drones were recently involved in four serious near misses at UK airports. The board said that a drone had come very close to colliding with a Boeing 737 climbing out of Stansted. It added that there were similar incidents that took place at Heathrow, London City and Manchester.

 

British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) spokesman Steve Landells said that near misses were becoming “too regular an occurrence.”

 

He added: "We must act now to protect passengers and flight crew and make sure a catastrophic crash does not happen.

 

"The authorities must enforce current regulations and make sure new ones, such as compulsory insurance and registration, are brought in without delay.

"As the growth of drones flying by hobbyists continues, education and training are increasingly becoming key. Anyone flying a drone must do so in a safe and sensible way."

 

A spokesman for the UK Civil Aviation Authority said: "Drone users have to understand that when taking to the skies they are potentially flying close to one of the busiest areas of airspace in the world - a complex system that brings together all manner of aircraft including passenger aeroplanes, military jets, helicopters, gliders and light aircraft.

 

"The rules for flying drones are designed to keep all airspace users safe and anyone flouting these rules can face severe penalties including imprisonment."

 

A spokeswoman for the DfT said: "Drones are becoming increasingly popular and have the potential to bring significant economic benefits, but it is vital that they are operated safely, in a way that does not put members of the public and other aircraft at risk.

 

"The government is leading efforts with international bodies to develop a stringent regulatory framework focusing on safety. There will be a public consultation before a government strategy is published in 2016."

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