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Britain expands airport drone no-fly zones
LONDON, March 13, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Britain on Wednesday expanded the no-
fly zones around airports in response to a spate of drone sightings that
temporarily shut down some of London’s biggest hubs.
The new law extends the radius around which drone flights are not
permitted to five kilometres (three miles) from one kilometre.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said penalities will range “from
significant fines to a life sentence”.
Existing rules ban all drone flights above 122 metres (400 feet) and
within 50 metres of buildings and people.
Several reports of drone sightings at London’s Gatwick airport during
the Christmas holiday season sparked the suspension of around 1,000 flights.
Drones were also spotted over the past few weeks around London’s
Heathrow and Dublin Airport in Scotland.
Those shut down only briefly to conduct security checks.
Britain’s Press Association news agency reported that there were 125
near-misses recorded between drones and air planes last year.
It said that just six incidents were recorded in 2014.
BSS/AFP/IJ/1700 hrs