Drone zone crackdown
New laws in bid to prevent Gatwick repeat
Drones will be banned from flying within three miles of airports when tough new legislation is introduced to tackle malicious use of the devices.
The UK Government will extend no-fly zones to protect runways from the mayhem that brought Gatwick Airport in London to a halt in December.
Police will also be given greater stop-and-search powers to clamp down on the misuse of drones.
It is already a criminal offence to fly a dr one above 400ft or within 0.6 miles of an airport’s boundary. Offenders face up to five years in prison if found guilty.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling and Home Secretary Sajid Jav id have worked together on new legislation, which will be introduced on Wednesday.
New laws covering drones and model aircraft will come into force on March 13.
The Drones Bill will include giving police permission to access electronic data stored on a drone with a warrant. The Home Off ice is also testing technology to counter drones.
It is hoped increasing the no- f ly zone will give better protection to the UK’s airports.
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-f ly zone to help keep our airports secure and our skies safe.
“Anyone flying their drone within the vicinity of an airport should be aware they are not only acting irresponsibly but criminal ly and could face imprisonment.”
From November 30, operators of drones weighing between 250g and 20kg will be required to register and drone pilots take an online competency test.
Javid said: “Extending stop and search to include drones wi l l help pol ice tack le disruption like the 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.”
Gatwick Airport was plunged into crisis before Christmas when drone sightings led to grounded flights for 36 hours.
A passenger aircraft and a drone came within 16ft of a col l ision near Glasgow Airport last November.
The tail of the Loganair plane was inspected because the crew thought it may have been damaged.
The incident was rated as having the highest degree of r isk and happened as the flight approached for landing, according to a report by the UK Airprox Board (UKAB).
The aircraft was at 3000ft and nine miles from the runway.