Air traffic - Numerous obstructions caused by drones once again
Drones have once again frequently disrupted air traffic over Germany this year. Up to and including November, German air traffic control registered 147 cases in which unmanned flying objects came close to civilian aircraft or facilities. This almost matches the comparable figures from the same period last year (150) and the record year 2018 (152). The number of cases fell temporarily during the coronavirus period.
81 obstructions, or 55 percent of the current cases, occurred near larger airports, as DFS reported on Monday in Langen near Frankfurt. With 21 cases each, the airports in Frankfurt and Leipzig-Halle were the most affected. Berlin followed with 14 drone sightings. In December, there were only a few more cases in previous years. The peak was reached in 2018 with 158 cases, followed by 2022 with 152 sightings.
Air traffic control assumes that regular air traffic will be obstructed as soon as a drone is sighted because controllers and pilots could be distracted. This is where the majority of reports come from. In Germany, drone flights are prohibited in the vicinity of airport take-off and landing areas - a distance of at least 1.5 kilometers must be maintained. Under criminal law, drone flights at airports are considered a dangerous interference with air traffic and are punishable by prison sentences of up to ten years.
Read also:
- Due to the increasing number of drone incidents, Germany's Federal Aviation Office (DFS) is exploring the use of drones equipped with disability labels to help air traffic controllers identify them more easily in emergency situations.
- In response to the growing concern about drone interference with air traffic, the German government is considering implementing stricter regulations, including mandatory registration and licensing for drone operators.
- During the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, air traffic in Frankfurt, Germany, experienced a significant reduction in drone incidents, possibly due to a decrease in recreational drone use.
- In an effort to address the issue of drone disruptions near airports in Germany, the German Air Navigation Service Provider (DFS) is enhancing its drone detection systems and working with local authorities to increase drone awareness and enforcement.
Source: www.stern.de
