Pilot spots drone on approach

A drone being flown near Auckland airport forced about 20 approaching flights to delay their landings, with one choosing to divert to another airport altogether.

Airways New Zealand said the pilot of a Q300 aircraft approaching Auckland airport alerted air traffic control to the presence of the drone at 11.45am yesterday. Air traffic controllers reported the event to police and halted aircraft operations for 30 minutes. During this time, around 20 planes chose to hold in the air, circling the airport, until they received clearance to land.

One plane, NZ92 from Haneda in Japan, chose to divert to the Ohakea Airforce base, 22km west of Palmerston North, to refuel. A passenger aboard the Boeing 777 said the plane circled Auckland airport a couple of times, but no approach to the runway was successful. A text sent by Air New Zealand apologised for the delay and told passengers to stay aboard while refuelling took place. ‘‘As you are aware, due to reports of a drone in the vicinity of the approach path to Auckland airport, your flight was required to divert to Ohakea Air Base to refuel before returning to Auckland.’’

Auckland airport spokeswoman Kate Thompson confirmed the cause for delay.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority, there has been a least 37 reported incidents since 2012, where a drone or remotely piloted aircraft system has got too close or interfered with Auckland Airport controlled airspace. Of those, seven were investigated and two were referred to the regulatory enforcement unit of the CAA, with one resulting in a warning letter.

Air NZ Chief Operations Integrity & Standards Officer Captain David Morgan said drone use around airports was a major cause for concern. He welcomed an investigation into the incident and said the airline supported any moves by authorities to ensure drone operators did not compromise the safety of aircraft.