Drones invade Dubai airport

Unauthorised drone activity caused Dubai International Airport to ground all outbound flights for 30 minutes on the morning of 15 February 2019, according to the New York Times. The stoppage lasted from 10:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. local time, allowing only inbound flights to land at the world’s third-busiest airport. The relevant United Arab Emirates law explicitly prohibits flying drones within five kilometres of airports.

Dubai is the latest in a series of airports that have had to be halted due to drone activity. The worst damage was found in the UK, where Gatwick Airport, the country’s second-largest airport, was closed for more than a day on Christmas Eve because of repeated drone flights near its runway. Despite a massive police investigation, the perpetrators have yet to be found.

These incidents prompted Gatwick and Heathrow to invest in anti-drone technology to prevent further disruption. Dubai International Airport purchased its own Skytrax anti-drone technology. Drone manufacturer DJI is also now addressing the issue with more advanced 3D geofencing to prevent its products from flying in restricted airspace. However, Dubai Airports will not benefit from the update at this time, as the new software only covers some European countries.

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