Drone incursions have become increasingly frequent at airports worldwide, and the industry must identify and implement methods of preventing such incidents, Eurocontrol said after a workshop earlier this month to examine the threat of unauthorized drone flights near airports.
The number of drone incursions at airports is increasing “almost exponentially, with no reversal trend in sight,” Eurocontrol said in a statement describing the early October meeting.
“Keeping airports secure by protecting them from unauthorised unmanned aircraft has become a key priority for the aviation community at large and airports specifically,” Eurocontrol said. “A drone operating in close proximity to an airport, accidentally or deliberately, is a safety hazard that requires an appropriate and immediate response.”
The workshop, held at Eurocontrol’s headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, drew 200 stakeholders from throughout the aviation community.
Iacopo Prissinotti, Eurocontrol’s …
