Rogue Drone Pilots Force Shutdown at Gatwick Airport, Stranding 100,000+ Airline Passengers
On Wednesday evening at 9:00 pm, all flights were suspended at Gatwick Airport — the UK’s second largest and Europe’s eighth-busiest — after authorities spotted two small drones flying nearby.
At the time this post is being published, the airport confirmed that the runways will be closed (at least) through 4:00 pm local time. Over 100,000 passengers on 760 flights were scheduled to take off or land from Gatwick on Thursday, just a few days before Christmas.
And the drones weren’t just spotted Wednesday night.
They were seen again at 3:45 am Thursday morning, just thirty minutes after Gatwick momentarily resumed flights following the first incident.
Some authorities believe this to be a deliberate act of disruption — the typical LiPo battery lifespan on the most popular camera drones is about 30 minutes. For there to have been multiple sightings hours ap, the pilots likely had extra batteries with them.
According to Sussex Police, the drones are believed to be of an “industrial specification,” meaning that based on their assessment so far, the pilots weren’t flying off-the-shelf drone models but perhaps something larger and custom-built.
The pilots are still at large, and an investigation is underway.
We’re hoping for swift (and strict) repercussions.
Drone Laws in the UK
The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority, which regulates drone laws in the UK, responded to the incident by reminding us that “it is totally unacceptable to fly drones close to airports, and anyone flouting the rules can face severe penalties including imprisonment.”
If caught, the drone pilot(s) could face up to five years in prison.
Drone Detection and Counter UAS
A number of companies offer anti-drone technology solutions using a combination of radar, camera detection, radio frequency detection, and jamming technologies.
Airports, sports stadiums, penitentiary systems, and public safety organizations face challenges when it comes to risk mitigation and building the right protocols and responses around sUAS technology.
Companies like Dedrone, DroneShield, Sensofusion, and Liteye offer Counter UAS systems and are helping to push drone detection and avoidance forward. And drone hardware companies like DJI equip their drones with geofencing software that prevents them from operating in restricted airspace.
And here’s more info about Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) and where we stand from a technological and regulatory perspective when it comes to tracking sUAS.
Alan Perlman
Founder & CEO
Alan is an FAA-certified drone pilot and founded UAV Coach in 2014 to help connect drone enthusiasts, to provide world-class sUAS industry training courses, and to help push the drone community forward with a focus on safety and commercial opportunities.