Drone protection for airports 


Airline pilots’ union BALPA has called on the government to ensure every airport invests in drone protection technology immediately, and to accelerate and strengthen drone legislation planned for 2019. 


The union’s comments follow a drone incident at Heathrow earlier this month, which temporarily grounded flights and followed the two-day shutdown of Gatwick airport shortly before Christmas. 


BALPA welcomed the government’s announcement that drone restriction zones around airports will be increased and police given extra powers to deal with the threat. 


“An aircraft or helicopter collision with a drone has the potential to be catastrophic,” said BALPA general secretary Brian Strutton. 


Professionals’ union Prospect said the disruption at Gatwick, which affected around 140,000 passengers, came as “little surprise to those in the aviation industry who have been arguing that the lack of effective regulation and enforcement is an accident waiting to happen”.


https://blog.balpa.org/Blog/January-2019/The-road-to-drone-legislation