The United Kingdom prohibits the use of drones within a 5-kilometer radius around airports. The rule for this applies from Wednesday, reports the British newspaper The Telegraph.
The measure follows incidents around London’s Gatwick airport in December. Reports about drones at the time meant that air traffic stopped for days.
Drones are currently allowed to fly at least 1 kilometre from an airport. According to The Telegraph, the rule means that from Wednesday, 9,182 square kilometres of British airspace will be banned for drones. Currently, drones are not allowed above an area of 1,800 square kilometres.
By delaying take-offs and landings as a result of the reports, 100,000 travellers were stranded. The incident investigation has not resulted in a suspect so far. A couple who were initially arrested were later released without suspicion.
The police have previously suggested the possibility that a drone did not actually fly. The police also later deployed drones that may have led to new reports. A damaged drone was later found on the Gatwick Airport site, but its origin is unknown.
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