WSi News2020-04-27 13:00:36
Number of drone sightings at a high level despite traffic slump
Unauthorized drone flights at commercial airports continue to increase even in times of the corona crisis: In the current year, DFS Deutsche Flugicherung GmbH has already counted 25 drone sightings in the vicinity and within airport boundaries. In the comparative period 2019 there were still 17.
April 22, 2020.- The reports of unauthorized drone flights at German commercial airports have reached new highs in the months since the beginning of the year. In January there were four, ten in February and eleven in March due to unmanned aerial vehicles. In the comparative periods of 2019, one sighting took place in January and eight sightings each in the two following months.
Germany's busiest airport Frankfurt am Main is again the most affected this year with a total of 16 reported drone sightings. Eleven of these sightings occurred in March. There were further incidents at Berlin Tegel (3), Hamburg (2) and Munich, Stuttgart, Nuremberg and Saarbrücken airports (one sighting each). The number of drone sightings is based on reports from aircraft crews, as well as observations by air traffic controllers and airport employees. The drones were spotted in the vicinity of the airports, sometimes even within the airport limits.
Disabilities caused by drones cause delays and flight cancellations
Since unauthorized drone flights at airports endanger passengers and aircraft crews, air traffic controllers cannot issue take-offs and landings in certain cases for safety reasons. The consequences are sometimes considerable delays, alternate landings and flight cancellations.
Operational disruptions also result in major economic damage for the airports and airlines concerned. This year alone, air traffic at Frankfurt Airport came to a standstill for a total of four hours in two incidents in February and March for a total of four hours. In 2019, the duration of all Germany-wide traffic disruptions totaled just under three hours.
Drone flights at airports are subject to criminal prosecution
Unauthorized drone flights in the vicinity of airports are legally considered a dangerous interference in air traffic and are punished with imprisonment of up to ten years.
On behalf of the Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, DFS has already developed a concept for the systematic detection of drones at German international airports. To this end, the first tests with various drone detection systems will be carried out at airports in the middle of the year.
