Exclusion zone set for Doncaster Sheffield Airport after drone reports

A drone exclusion zone is set to be expanded around Doncaster Sheffield Airport after reported sightings of the flying devices caused chaos at other airports.

About 1000 flights were cancelled over the festive season at Gatwick Airport and departures were temporarily suspended at Heathrow on Tuesday

after drones were reportedly sighted close to the runways.

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The Government announced this week it is planning to expand drone exclusion zones five-fold at all UK airports as part of a wider consultation on the issue of the devices near runways.

Bosses at Doncaster Sheffield Airport said they are fully behind the additional safety measures.

An airport spokesperson said: “We fully support the government’s proposal to the extend the current Air Traffic Zone around airports from 1km to 5km (3.1 miles) radius, with additional extensions from runway ends and will act upon the recommendations as soon as the consultation is complete and recommendations become legislation.”

This will be in addition to other measures already in place to prevent drones from flying into air space at the Finningley-based airport.

The spokesperson added: “Doncaster Sheffield Airport has procedures in place for both known and uncontrolled drone operations in compliance with Civil Aviation Authority guidelines.

“The airport controlled airspace is geo-fenced within software typically installed in drones by the manufacturers, which means it would either not be able to take off, or if it entered a geo-fenced area it would return to the place it took off from.