EU News Digest Latest News & Updates
Dan Kitwood | Getty Images
Passengers wait for announcements at Gatwick South Terminal on December 20, 2018 in London, England. Authorities at Gatwick closed the runway after drones were spotted over the airport on the night of December 19.
Drone sightings kept London Gatwick Airport closed for a second day , disrupting travel for tens of thousands of passengers, while the military stepped in to assist what local law enforcement called a “deliberate act.”
The incident stranded thousands of people during the busy Christmas travel period, as flights were grounded, while others were diverted to other airports. Gatwick serves more than 100,000 passengers a day, making it the second-busiest in the country after London Heathrow.
The drone flights near Gatwick’s airfield appeared to be “deliberate” but not an act of terror, according to Sussex Police. The armed forces were called in to help local law enforcement with “specialist equipment,” Britain’s Ministry of Defense said Thursday.
Two drones were sighted near Gatwick’s airfield on Wednesday night around 9 p.m. GMT, but the airport is “still receiving drone sightings” in the area, the airport’s CEO Stewart Wingate said in a statement.
“Therefore, until we are confident that the issue has been resolved it would clearly not be in the interests of passengers to do so as we could be jeopardizing their safety,” he said.
14.15: Our runway is still closed because of drone sightings. Flights are cancelled up to at least 16.00 today, while we constantly review the situation. Please do not set out for the airport for your flight without checking with your airline first. We're sorry for the disruption
— Gatwick Airport LGW (@Gatwick_Airport) December 20, 2018
The incident highlights concerns among air safety regulators about preventing drones from flying close to aircraft and airfields, as the devices become more popular and easily obtainable.
Airlines offered passengers free flight changes due to the disruption. Budget carrier easyJet cancelled all of its flights scheduled for Thursday and said it would reimburse the “reasonable expenses” of travelers who arrange for alternative transportation.
