No-fly zones for drones is extended near major airports
NEW legislation to extend the no-fly zone for drones around airports will come into force next month, the Department for Transport has announced.
The gadgets will be banned from being flown within five kilometres of airports from March 13. Under current laws only a one-kilometre restriction is in place.
The Government has also partnered with a major retailer in a bid to reduce drone misuse. Jessops has pledged to ensure it tells customers about the latest rules around flying drones.
Concern about their misuse has grown after sightings of the devices caused flights to be grounded over 36 hours at Gatwick Airport in the run-up to Christmas.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: “The law is clear that flying a drone near an airport is a serious criminal act. We’re now going even further and extending the no-fly zone to help keep our airports secure and our skies safe. We are also working to raise awareness of the rules in place.”
There were 125 near misses between drones and aircraft reported in 2018, up 34% on the total of 93 during the previous year. Just six incidents were recorded in 2014.
Ian Savage, head of retail and academy training at Jessops, said: “Along with the pleasure drones bring comes a responsibility for the user to ensure they are flying their drone safely and legally”.