Active Stocks
Thu Mar 28 2024 14:19:25
  1. Tata Steel share price
  2. 156.15 2.16%
  1. HDFC Bank share price
  2. 1,456.50 1.10%
  1. ITC share price
  2. 432.80 1.12%
  1. Power Grid Corporation Of India share price
  2. 278.05 2.58%
  1. State Bank Of India share price
  2. 758.60 3.34%
Business News/ News / World/  Drone menace hits London’s Heathrow airport, flights briefly suspended
BackBack

Drone menace hits London’s Heathrow airport, flights briefly suspended

The Heathrow airport was partially shut for more than an hour after reports of drones flying near runways raised safety concerns

An aircraft takes off at Heathrow Airport in London. Photo: ReutersPremium
An aircraft takes off at Heathrow Airport in London. Photo: Reuters

The Heathrow airport was partially shut for more than an hour after reports of drones flying near runways raised safety concerns, the second time in a month a London airport had to suspend flights because of dangers from modern-day gadgets.

Departures were halted after sightings of possible drones in the vicinity of Europe’s busiest airport after 5 p.m. local time Tuesday, according to the Metropolitan Police. Services resumed following an evaluation of the threat to safety, with the government saying it was looking at bringing in the military. The incident comes within weeks after the city’s Gatwick hub closed for the same reason.

The latest sightings of drones at the city’s two major airports have raised concerns about safety and the need for more aggressive steps to regulate these crafts. While most nations prohibit drones from flying in pathways reserved for airliners, millions of small consumer devices that can’t be tracked on radar make it difficult for authorities to enforce the rules.

“It’s becoming quite a menace and a danger to everyone," said Shukor Yusof, founder of aviation consulting firm Endau Analytics. “There is now an urgent need to enforce the rule more aggressively. When you have one of the world’s busiest airport being interrupted by drones, that’s unacceptable. "

The sighting spurred concern that Heathrow may have been targeted after the drone raids on Gatwick caused travel chaos for more than 150,000 people. That event, which grounded jets on the Wednesday before Christmas and led to days of disruption, raised questions about the preparedness of airports for encroachment by drones into commercial airspace.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said on Twitter during the Heathrow scare that he’d consulted with Home Secretary Sajid Javid and Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson and that if necessary the military would deploy the same equipment that allowed the resumption of flights of Gatwick.

Heathrow may be better able to cope with drone disruption as it has two runways to Gatwick’s one. While two people were questioned by police about the earlier incident, no-one was charged and the investigations continue.

Grupo Aeromexico SAB in December was investigating whether a drone slammed into a Boeing Co. 737 jetliner as the aircraft approached its destination in Tijuana, Mexico, on the U.S. border. Images on local media showed considerable damage to the nose of the plane.

The latest drone reports come a day after the U.K. Department for Transport said it was moving ahead with plans to give police additional powers to tackle the misuse and abuse of the unmanned craft.

New steps could also include technology to detect and repel drones near airports and an extension to exclusion zones that bar them from flying above 400 feet and within 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) of an aviation hub.

Earlier Tuesday, Heathrow said it aims to boost capacity even before a new runway opens, employing measures including a rejigging of the way two existing landing strips are used to add 25,000 flights a year, or 5 percent more than a current cap. The project is part of a consultation on the 16 billion-pound ($20 billion) third runway.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.

Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!

Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
More Less
Published: 09 Jan 2019, 12:31 PM IST
Next Story footLogo
Recommended For You
Switch to the Mint app for fast and personalized news - Get App