Gardai are seeking to enlist the help of local and visiting plane spotters at Dublin Airport to help prevent incidents involving drones like that which brought operations to a standstill last month.
A flyer distributed to aviation enthusiasts at the transport hub recently welcomed spotters to participate in the new Dublin Airport Drone Prevention Project.
This is in addition to an initiative launched by the Dublin Airport Authority (daa) in 2017 specifically aimed at drone users highlighting how the airfield is a No Drone Zone and that it is illegal to operate a drone in the vicinity of the airport.
Drones are forbidden from the airport and its vicinity due to the risk of colliding with an aircraft or being ingested into an engine.
Government urged to 'wake up' to drone threat after Dublin Airport flights grounded
The latest campaign by gardai based at the airport is aimed at informing the public, including plane spotters, of the dangers of drones operated anywhere close to the area and to ask them to report and document such occurrences.
On February 21, operations at Dublin ground to a standstill for half an hour after a drone was spotted in the vicinity of the airfield.
A similar incident caused travel chaos at Gatwick Airport in England last December and even resulted in aircraft diverting to Irish airports.
In an effort to prevent any future potentially disastrous incidents at Dublin Airport, flyers were distributed to aviation enthusiasts at various popular plane spotting locations around the airfield last week.
It read: “As I am sure you are aware, illegally operated drones around the airfield and the flight paths, pose an extreme danger to aircraft and to the operation of the airport itself.
"An Garda Siochana would like to take this opportunity to invite you to play your part, and help us protect the travelling public and keep Dublin Airport a safe place to travel to and from.”
The leaflet continued: “We are asking you to report any sightings of drones around the airfield and to call 999 immediately.
We would be grateful if you could report what direction the drone came from and, if you are able, to take a picture of it as well. The will help identify it in the event of a criminal investigation.”
An officer attached to Dublin Airport Garda Station has been assigned as liaison to oversee the project.
A DAA spokeswoman said: "We understand that as part of its ongoing investigation into the confirmed drone sighting over the airfield at Dublin Airport last month An Garda Siochána is seeking help from nearby plane spotters.
"There has been one confirmed drone sighting at Dublin Airport and this resulted in a 30 minute suspension of flight operations that day, Thursday 21 February.
"Safety and security at Dublin Airport is of paramount importance and we fully support An Garda Siochana with its investigation into this incident.”
