Heathrow airport has brought in a system designed to block drones entering its airspace.
Europe’s busiest travel hub wants to avoid the chaos that shut down Gatwick in 2018 when a drone was flown near its runways. It also follows incidents and threats by eco-activists to shut down airport operations using the devices.
The technology’s manufacturer, Operational Solutions, confirmed they had supplied a “bespoke” system “to protect the UK’s busiest airfield” but said they were under a strict non-disclosure agreement about its exact configuration.
The firm said it “works by detecting and tracking drones in surrounding airspace and alerting airports of unauthorised drone use quickly and efficiently”. It can integrate with “a variety of leading counter drone technologies from different manufacturers”.
The installation follows laws which came into force last year banning unauthorised drones from being flown within Flight Restriction Zones, which extend for 5,000 metres (3.1 miles) from airport boundaries, with the threat of five years imprisonment.
Last January, Heathrow was forced to stop departing flights after an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) sighting. Then last month, a British Airways passenger told police she spotted a drone flying at 30,000ft as her plane came in to land at the airport. In 2016, police investigated a pilot’s report his Airbus A320 was struck while approaching Heathrow.
Jonathan Coen, Heathrow’s director of security, said: “Safety and security ... is our number one priority. That is why we’re investing in this new cutting-edge technology which will enhance our capabilities in the detection and deterrence of drones.”
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