Dubai: Dubai International Airport briefly suspended operations on Wednesday morning when an unauthorised drone breached its high-security airspace.
The intrusion prompted airport managers to shutter the facility for 30 minutes before air services were fully restored roughly two hours later.
A lockdown of air services was critical to ensure passenger safety, an airport spokesperson told Gulf News shortly after the closure was lifted on Wednesday.
“The closure resulted in minor delays for a total of 90 flights across DXB. Operations were back to normal within two hours of resumption of arrival-departure flights,” the spokesperson said.
Hundreds of travellers were believed affected as the airport worked to resume full safety conditions.
“Dubai Airports is working closely with its stakeholders to minimise customer inconvenience. Safety is our top priority and Dubai Airports reminds all UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) operators that any and all activities are not permitted unless authorised by regulatory authorities and are strictly prohibited in restricted areas including within five kilometres of any airport or landing area.”
On Wednesday, Emirates airline confirmed that the incident disrupted its routine daily operations.
“Emirates can confirm that its flight operations from and to Dubai were disrupted today from approx. 810am until 910am Dubai time, due to unauthorised drone activity which led to the temporary closure of airspace around Dubai International airport,” said a spokesperson.
“The disruption resulted in a number of flight delays ranging from 45-65 minutes. Emirates is making all efforts to ensure minimal disruption to passengers, and assist affected passengers. Emirates regrets any inconvenience caused but the safety of our passengers and crew is of utmost importance and will not be compromised,” the spokesperson said.
The disruption was the third such drone incident in the last two years with the last disruption on June 11 leading to the closure of Dubai airport for 69 minutes and the diversion of 22 flights to neighbouring airports like Al Maktoum International, Sharjah airport and Fujairah airport.
Meanwhile, Wednesday’s airport closure came three days after a senior staff member of the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) said that a new UAE law to restrict import and sale of drones will soon be implemented in the UAE due to the growing use of drones in the country.
Mohammad Al Dossary, director of air navigation and aerodromes department, said the authority is working with the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology on the new law.
“We are working with the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology on a law that will have a framework for the UAE on the sale and import of drones. Once the law is implemented, you will have restrictions on the sale and import of drones and only certain sizes of drones will be there in the market,” Al Dossary told reporters at the Drones Middle East conference in Abu Dhabi.
Currently drones can be purchased from retailers in Dubai and some other parts of the UAE. However, Abu Dhabi banned the sale of drones last year due to risks posed to the aviation sector.
“The challenge that we are facing is people are not aware of the requirements. Several incidents have happened in the UAE caused by individuals who are not familiar with our requirements and they fly the drones,” Al Dossary said.
More than 400 drones have been registered with the GCAA, mostly for commercial purposes for use in real estate, agriculture and the oil and gas industry.
In April, Saif Mohammad Al Suwaidi, director-general of the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), lauded rules to limit drone distance and height by the Emirates Authority of Standardisation and Metrology.
Al Suwaidi said the civil authority has issued a booklet on the safe use of drones that contains signboards located in areas that forbid the use of drones. He said that the booklet and signboards are being distributed in the UAE, and pointed out that a digital copy of the booklet can be acquired from the authority’s website www.gcaa.gov.ae.
GCAA drone rules
A top few requirements for drone users include:
The user and drone shall be registered with the GCAA before flying
All drones weighing 5kg or less shall only be allowed to fly in approved flying zones
No video or image capturing devices shall be used when flying the drone
No drone shall be equipped with drop or release devices
Drone flying range shall be within line-of-sight and not more than 400 feet above ground level
Drones shall fly only during day time and in good weather conditions
Drones shall be used for fun and not for commercial purposes
No user shall fly the drone within 5km of UAE airports’ outer fence, heliports, helicopter landing sites, and airfields or in controlled zones
Direct radio control link shall be maintained between the user and the drone
The minimum age to fly drones weighing more than 25kg is 21
Source: GCAA
