Sharp rise in drone use sparks air safety fears
THE number of drones in Ireland has increased by almost a third over the past year to more than 11,000.
There are 11,197 drones registered in the country, up from 8,502 in December 2017.
New laws which require owners of drones which weigh over 250g to register the device will come into effect this year. Previously it was only drones over 1kg that had to be registered.
The issue has become urgent in recent weeks. Last month, Britain’s second busiest airport, Gatwick, closed for 36 hours days before Christmas, affecting more than 140,000 passengers.
Europe-wide rules for the registration and certification of drones have just been agreed, according to the Irish Aviation Authority.
Drones are considered to be unmanned aircraft which are remotely piloted or controlled, and registration is mandatory in Ireland. The IAA says owners must not operate one within 5km of an airport or aerodrome.
It also warns against flying over crowds of people such as at a music concert, or near a prison or military area, or out of the operator’s direct line of vision.
The cheapest drones can be bought for less than €30 and go up to almost €8,000 for models featuring the most sophisticated technology.
The need for action on drone misuse has increased after Christmas, said Ireland South MEP, Deirdre Clune.
‘Many people will have got drones as Christmas presents this year and will be, perhaps, looking to purchase them in the January sales,’ Ms Clune said.
‘With an exponential year-onyear growth of drone-related incidents, it is quite clear that drones will be a major safety challenge in the years to come.
‘We should never forget that drones can do harm to people, they are a significant security threat and a risk to aircraft.
‘There were a lot of reports in relation to the misuse of drones last year, with emergency services even being forced to stand down operations. This was particularly evident at Gatwick Airport just before Christmas. Cork Airport was also affected when they were forced to halt flights due to drones in the sky.
‘More people than ever are using drones in Ireland and the operators need to be aware of their responsibilities when they are operating them.
‘Drones are a sector of aviation that is fast developing and offers great potential to produce new jobs and growth. The increased use of drones does, however, bring up a range of legal and commercial issues, including public safety.’
Drones can be controlled from a mobile phone or radio-remote and are used to take aerial photos in engineering works or for surveillance. Estate agents also use them for aerial photos of homes for sale and they are even being considered as a new way of making home deliveries for small packages or take-away orders. christian.mccashin@dailymail.ie