[ad_1]
The no-fly zone for drones located around British airports is currently extended to 5 km in order to avoid disturbances such as the grounding of flights at Gatwick Airport in December.
The Ministry of Transport said the area will expand on March 13 from the current 1 km.
Officials are also working on new legislation to give the police more powers to stop and search people suspected of using drones maliciously.
PROVIDED
The British aeronautical authorities claim that 125 near misses between drones and planes were reported in 2018.
State Secretary for Transportation Chris Grayling said that people who fly drones near airports "act not only irresponsibly, but criminally, and risk imprisonment".
READ MORE:
* The drone activity stops air traffic at Newark Liberty International Airport in the United States.
* London Heathrow Airport allows flights to take off again after alleged sighting of a drone
* Drones: British airports launch a counterattack with "killer" devices
* The drones that shut down Gatwick Airport may not have existed, according to the police
More than 100,000 travelers were stranded or delayed before Christmas after drone sightings near Gatwick, Britain's second largest airport.
KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH / AP
About 1,000 aircraft were canceled or diverted to Gatwick before Christmas because of drone sightings.
The British aeronautical authorities say that 125 near misses between drones and aircraft have been reported in 2018, compared with 93 in 2017.
Source link
