Dublin Airport Chief Police Officer, Pat Bracken and Airport Management Unit Operations Officer, Nicola Kelly at one of the No Drone Zone signs on Dublin Airport’s perimeter fence
Dublin Airport has launched a safety campaign focussing on drones. Airports are “no fly” areas for drones, though some people seem to either be unaware of this or choose to ignore it.
To protect the airfield, signage has been mounted on the airport’s perimeter fence indicating that Dublin Airport is a “No Drone Zone” and highlighting that it is illegal to operate a drone in the vicinity of the airport.
“Safeguarding the airfield at Dublin Airport is a key priority for us,” said Dublin Airport’s Chief Police Officer, Pat Bracken. “Drones are becoming an increasingly popular way to film the countryside, however, they can cause serious damage to an aircraft,” he added.
“We have been working with the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) to keep the airfield safe from drones and signs have now been mounted on the airport’s perimeter fence to ensure we keep Dublin Airport a No Drone Zone,” Mr Bracken said.
Drones are forbidden from the airport and the airport vicinity due to the risk of a drone colliding with an aircraft or being sucked into an aircraft’s engine.
The IAA’s Director of Safety Regulation Ralph James said it very much welcomed this development at Dublin Airport. “It’s essential that the general public understand that drone activity is prohibited from taking place within the vicinity of an aerodrome for safety reasons,” Mr James added “There have been a couple of incidents of people using drones close to Dublin Airport, which have disrupted operations and drone users need to be aware of the rules for the safe operation of drones.”
If you own a drone over 1kg in weight you are meant to register it with the IAA.
About the Author: Michele Neylon
