This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/20/world/europe/gatwick-airport-drones.html
The article has changed 19 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Gatwick Airport Shut Down After Drone Sightings | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Gatwick Airport, London’s second-busiest airport, was brought to a standstill after at least one drone was spotted flying over its airfield on Wednesday and Thursday. | Gatwick Airport, London’s second-busiest airport, was brought to a standstill after at least one drone was spotted flying over its airfield on Wednesday and Thursday. |
| Inbound flights were diverted to airports as far away as Paris and outbound flights were grounded from 9 p.m. Wednesday to around 3 a.m. Thursday. | Inbound flights were diverted to airports as far away as Paris and outbound flights were grounded from 9 p.m. Wednesday to around 3 a.m. Thursday. |
| The airfield, about 25 miles south of central London, reopened briefly, but the authorities shut it down again at 3:45 a.m. after a drone was spotted again. The airport, which connects fliers to 230 destinations in 70 countries, remained closed Thursday morning. | |
| “We apologize to any affected passengers for this inconvenience but the safety of our passengers and all staff is our foremost priority,” airport authorities said on Twitter. | “We apologize to any affected passengers for this inconvenience but the safety of our passengers and all staff is our foremost priority,” airport authorities said on Twitter. |
| Chris Woodroofe, the chief operating officer of Gatwick Airport, told Sky News that two staff members had first spotted a drone Wednesday night. | Chris Woodroofe, the chief operating officer of Gatwick Airport, told Sky News that two staff members had first spotted a drone Wednesday night. |
| “Since then, the drone has appeared and disappeared and appeared and disappeared,” he said. A drone flew over the airfield Thursday morning, he said. | “Since then, the drone has appeared and disappeared and appeared and disappeared,” he said. A drone flew over the airfield Thursday morning, he said. |
| As the popularity of drones has soared in recent years, so have worldwide reports of their role in causing airline disruptions. British statistics have shown a steady increase of drone sightings near airports in recent years. | As the popularity of drones has soared in recent years, so have worldwide reports of their role in causing airline disruptions. British statistics have shown a steady increase of drone sightings near airports in recent years. |
| Flying a drone within a kilometer, or about three-fifths of a mile, of an airport is illegal and punishable by up to five years in prison in Britain, according to the Civil Aviation Authority. | |
| Gatwick Airport was also closed after drone sightings in July 2017. | Gatwick Airport was also closed after drone sightings in July 2017. |
| Frustrated passengers vented on social media about their disrupted plans. One traveler wrote that she had a “tour of every London airport” after stops at Stansted and Heathrow, while a man who said he had been redirected to Paris wondered if his dog would walk itself. |