FILE PHOTO: Britain's Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling arrives in Downing Street, London, Britain, December 18, 2018. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain will extend a drone exclusion zone five-fold and give police new powers against lawbreaking operators, the government said on Monday, after sightings last month paralysed the nations second busiest airport.
The changes announced in parliament by the transport minister, Chris Grayling, followed pre-Christmas disruption at Gatwick airport where drone flyovers led to 1,000 flight cancellations affecting 140,000 passengers.
The military was drafted in to help.
“The disruption caused by drones to flights at Gatwick airport last month was deliberate, irresponsible and calculated, as well as illegal,” Grayling told parliament.
The Ministry of Defence remained on standby to deal with any further problems at Gatwick or any other airport, he added.
The government said the drone exclusion zone around airports would be extended to about 5 km (3 miles) — with additional extensions at runway ends — from 1 km now.
Grayling said the government would also begin testing the use of counter-drone technology as part of its response to a consultation begun before Decembers disruption.
Reporting by William James and Kylie MacLellan; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Andrew Cawthorne
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