Commenting on the Government’s new proposals to ensure the safe use of drones, Chief Executive of the Airport Operators Association, Karen Dee said
“Drones are an exciting new technology that, if operated safely, can bring many benefits to aviation and the UK as a whole. However, as the events at London Gatwick Airport have shown, drones have the potential to be very disruptive due to the risk they pose to civil aviation.
“It is welcome to see that the Government has listened to UK airports and will now extend the no-drone zones around airports to approximately 5km. Enforcement will be vital for these new rules to be effective and we look forward to working with the Home Office and the police on ensuring the right resources and technology is in place to support this.
“The Government should now also move quickly to introduce mandatory geo-fencing technology. This would safeguard critical airspace around airports from accidental drone incursions and allow airports, police and other authorities to focus fully on preventing the malicious use of drones.”
ENDS
