Drones cause disruption at airport
London police say intrusions were deliberate
LONDON — Drones buzzing over the runway forced the shutdown of London’s Gatwick Airport on Thursday during one of the busiest times of the year, stranding or delaying tens of thousands of Christmas-season travelers and setting off a hunt for the operator of the intruding aircraft.
The prospect of a deadly collision between what police described as industrial-grade drones and an airliner led authorities to stop all flights in and out.
Police said they had no doubt the intrusion was a deliberate attempt to disrupt operations at the airport during a peak period, but there were “absolutely no indications to suggest this is terror-related.”
About 20 police units from two forces tried to zero in on the drone operator after the first sighting over Gatwick on Wednesday evening. Police told airport officials it was too risky to try to shoot down the two drones — stray bullets might kill someone.
“Each time we believe we get close to the operator, the drone disappears. When we look to reopen the airfield, the drone reappears,” said Sussex Police Superintendent Justin Burtenshaw. He said the newer-generation drones are bigger and have more range, making it harder for police to locate the person controlling the device.
Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson said the military would be deployed to help police. He said the armed forces would bring “unique capabilities” but gave no details.
With drones booming in popularity and becoming increasingly affordable, aviation authorities have been warning in recent years about the risk of a catastrophic collision with an airliner, and Britain — and the U.S. — have tightened restrictions. Drones could get sucked into a jet engine or crash through a windshield, incapacitating the pilot.
The crisis at Gatwick had a ripple effect on air travel in Britain, continental Europe and beyond as incoming flights were sent to other locations and outgoing ones were