Technology
Drone sightings are causing total chaos at one of the UK’s busiest airports
Holiday season is peak time for drone enthusiasts.
Kids are off school, people are treating themselves to new toys, and all across the country amateur flyers will be keenly testing out their newly-acquired gifts.
Apparently it’s not such a great time for airports, though. On Thursday morning, London’s Gatwick Airport — one of the busiest in the UK — announced that all inbound and outbound flights are suspended following reports of two drones flying near the airport on Wednesday night.
As of 08:15am, everything was still in lockdown.
Thursday 07.40: Flights to and from Gatwick remain suspended, due to drone activity. Please do not travel to the airport without checking with your airline first. We ‘re sorry for the inconvenience today, but the safety of our passengers and staff is our no.1 priority.
— Gatwick Airport LGW (@Gatwick_Airport) December 20, 2018
Gatwick’s online statement confirms that the airport is investigating the sightings with the help of Sussex police. In the meantime, staff are working to find alternative travel and accommodation options for passengers who have been affected.
“We apologise to any affected passengers for this inconvenience but the safety of our passengers and all staff is our number one priority,” reads the statement.
Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) — the UK’s regulatory body for civil aviation — tweeted the following (fairly blunt) reminder of the rules.
(1/2) It is totally unacceptable to fly drones close to airports and anyone flouting the rules can face severe penalties including imprisonment.
Anyone operating a drone must do so responsibly and observe all relevant rules and regulations…#Gatwick #Gatwick_Airport
— UK Civil Aviation Authority (@UK_CAA) December 20, 2018
As stated in the CAA’s “Drone Code“, it’s currently illegal in the UK to fly a drone above 400 feet (120m), or within 1km of an airport/airfield boundary.
Mashable has reached out to Gatwick for the latest statement, and we will update this article once we receive a response.
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