Feb. 5 (UPI) — With every report of an airport intrusion or an airborne near-miss with a flying drone, I fear that a follow-up story will soon detail the tragic results of a large-scale disaster caused by the collision of a drone and a commercial aircraft.
In recent weeks, Newark Liberty Airport was forced to suspend operations for a period of time following reports of nearby drone activity. In December, 140,000 passengers and over 1,000 flights were impacted by reports of drones in the area of England’s Gatwick Airport. While no confirmed drone/aircraft collisions have occurred, the threat is real and the potential for disaster is ever present.