Special report
The Government is also preparing a Drones Bill which it said would give police new stop and search powers
How the drone chaos at Gatwick has led to larger ‘no-fly’ zones at airports
The Government is extending the no-fly zone around airports following the disruption caused by drone sightings at Gatwick in December.
The chaos saw the Sussex airport – the second-busiest in the country – closed for more than 30 hours shortly before Christmas, with 1,000 flights affected.
And in January, departures from Heathrow Airport were affected following reports that a drone had been spotted.
Last year, the Government legislated to make flying drones above 400ft or within one kilometre of an airport boundary illegal.
Anyone caught doing so could a face a £2,500 fine.
The new exclusion zone, which comes into force on March 13, goes further by banning drones from flying within 5km of runways.
Aviation minister Baroness Sugg CBE said in a written statement to Parliament: “The highly irresponsible and dangerous disruption caused by drones to flights at Gatwick and Heathrow airports recently highlighted the risks.
“While the use of drones at Gatwick and Heathrow was already illegal, it is extremely important that regulation provides protection which reduces, as much as possible, the airspace where drones and manned aircraft can come into close proximity with each other.”
A spokesman for Shoreham Airport said it welcomed the new legislation.
The spokesman said: “Any regulation that can have a direct impact on flight safety is of prime importance to the airport and its users.
“Flight safety is very important to us and we are keen to ensure that these rules are adhered to and that the general public be aware that even smaller drones can have a devastating effect when flown close to aircraft.”
The Home Office also wants to give police officers powers to stop and search people suspected of using drones maliciously above 400ft or within 5km of an airport.
This will be included in the Drones Bill currently being prepared by the Government.
Police will also be given the power to access electronic data stored on a drone with a warrant.
Home Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Extending stop and search to include drones will help police tackle disruption like the recent misery we saw at UK airports, when travel was ruined for thousands of innocent passengers, and bring those responsible to justice. Police are clear that stop and search is one of the most powerful tools they have to target and disrupt crime and I remain committed to giving them all the support they need to protect the public.”
Foryears,droneshaveposed a threat to the safety of flights at Gatwick, an investigation by this newspaper revealed earlier this year.
Analysis of UK Airprox Board (UKAB) reports found that 15 flights to and from the airport had encountered a near-miss with a drone since 2015. This included a drone suspected of attempting to capture plane landings coming within 80ft of hitting an Airbus A321 on November 28, 2015, according to UKAB.
The perpetrators of the Gatwick drone attacks in December remain at large while Sussex Police continues its criminal investigation into the incident.
A spokesman said the force was keeping ‘an open mind’ about who was responsible following claims, reported in The Times newspaper, that it was ‘an inside job’. The newspaper quoted Whitehall sources who said it was believed ‘a current or former airport employee’ was responsible because the culprit had ‘really good knowledge of Gatwick’.
A Gatwick Airport spokesman said the investigation was ongoing and declined to comment on the claims.
A Sussex Police spokesman said: “The illegal drone incursions on this occasion were unprecedented, unpredictable and sustained and happened at times of the day making it difficult for the existing technology to track and identify. This remains a protracted and complex investigation in which all outstanding lines of enquiry are being pursued.”
Despite a reward of £50,000 for public information leading police to the person or persons responsible, the spokesman said police have not received ‘the critical information that we believed exists within the community’.
The College of Policing is due to release a review of Sussex Police’s actions during the drone attack at the end of the month. Chief Constable Giles York has said he hoped to make ‘aspects’ of the report available to the public.
It is extremely important that regulation provides protection
BARONESS SUGG Aviation minister