Dubai: An aviation official has urged the public to cooperate with them in keeping Dubai’s airspace safe and to keep drones from flying within eight nautical miles around its two international airports.
Improperly flown recreational drones brought air traffic in Dubai to a halt for nearly an hour from 3pm to 3.55pm on Friday. The drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles, were flown near the flight path of commercial airlines posing potential risks to passengers and ground personnel.
Mohammad Abdullah Al Ahli, Director-General of the Dubai Civil Aviation, and CEO of Dubai Air Navigation Services, said that for the safety of all, no drone flights are allowed within an eight nautical mile-radius surrounding the Dubai International Airport and the Al Maktoum International Airport.
“In aviation business, if there’s an object in the sky near the approach of the airport, we cannot take any chances. It is dangerous to fly on the approach because if it hits the aircraft, it could damage the engine and the aircraft could crash,” Al Ahli told Gulf News.
“Imagine if a bird can go into the engine and could damage the aircraft’s engine, [how much more damage could be caused by] a steel drone.”
Al Ahli said the drone on Friday was spotted at around 3pm and was chased by police, leading to the closure of the airport for 35 minutes. But it came back again after a while, which forced the airport to close for another 20 minutes.
Al Ahli revealed that this is not the first time this has happened. The first incident happened around seven months ago which closed the airport for roughly the same time. The second incident happened two months ago.
Dubai’s airports, the world’s second busiest airports for international passengers according to Airports Council International, has to be kept drone-free from all angles.
Al Ahli reiterated that they are not closing their doors on hobbyists flying drones but they have to do it responsibly.
“All we are asking is for the people to cooperate with us so as to safeguard the skies of Dubai. So we want every person who wants to use these airplanes, or companies, or institutes, to come and take permission from us. Our website is open and the our office is open 24 hours. We can look into your request and we will provide permission.”
Al Ahli said they are looking into dedicating the Nad Al Sheba area for the purpose of flying drones as a sport.
The airport serves more than 125 airlines flying to more than 260 destinations, including passenger and cargo, across six continents.
Captain Othman Bin Mat Taib, a former pilot who now works as the head of safety of an aviation company in the UAE, said the make of the drone is a variable in the danger it poses.
“It doesn’t matter whether the drone is made of plastic or anything else, [it can still damage an aircraft]. Of course the heavier it is and the faster and the higher it flies, the more dangerous it is. But any time it is a nuisance and can disrupt the airport operations,” Captain Bin Mat Taib told Gulf News.
“If it hits the aircraft’s surface, probably it can puncture the aircraft’s skin. But these damages can cause millions to repair and it may cause the aircraft to crash depending on how big the drone is.”
Although the frequency the drones and aircrafts use are different, signals from the drones can cause minor interference in the aircraft and can cause minor disruptions in the communication between the aircraft and the air traffic control.
Bin Mat Taib also said that some drones cannot be detected by aircrafts in flight.
