Flights to East Midlands Airport were diverted and the fugitive closed on Friday night after drones were spotted nearby.
Eight services were diverted on Friday night after an interruption earlier in the day as passenger flights were diverted to other airports. Drones were previously spotted Friday afternoon near Donington Park in Leicestershire, about a mile (1.6 km) from the airport where the three-day Download Festival is taking place.
The airport confirmed on Friday afternoon that “operational disruptions” had continued for the past 48 hours, Lester Mercury said. The interruption on Friday afternoon began around 2pm and led to the closure of the airport for 30 minutes, affecting “a small number of flights”, according to a statement from the airport.
A spokesman for the East Midlands Airport confirmed that the runway, which was closed for about two hours shortly after 10pm on Friday night, is now open.
The organizers of the music festival, Leicestershire police and the airport said they were monitoring the situation in a joint statement. “Recent reports of drone sightings near Donington Park have led to some operational disruptions at the East Midlands Airport in recent days. This affected both the night cargo operation and the transfer of passengers to other airports.
“The safe operation of EMA Airport and the public safety of the event are our top priorities. Together, Leicestershire Police, the organizers of the Download Festival and the airport continue to work closely together to monitor the situation. As a result, both the festival organizers and the police have increased the number of patrols on site and in the surrounding areas. “
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The statement recalled that flying a drone near an existing airport was a violation of the Civil Aviation Act 1982 and posed a serious risk to public safety. The police will take appropriate action if necessary, they added.
In December 2018, drone sightings caused chaos at Gatwick Airport, which led to its closure in 30 hours, disrupting 1,000 flights and more than 140,000 passengers.
The incident was the first time a major airport had been closed by drones and sparked a police operation that lasted 18 months, cost £ 800,000 and involved five separate forces.
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