Is it time for counter-drone technology to become a standard at all airports?

Over the years, there have been numerous cases of drones flying dangerously close to airports and aircraft. There's the infamous Christmas grounding of flights from Gatwick in 2018, with several runways closed due to rumoured drone activity within the restricted area. A disruption that saw approximately 110,000 passengers on 760 flights left stranded during one of the busiest times of the year.

Sadly, this is a problem that isn't going away anytime soon. On Thursday, 2nd March, it appears that drone pilots, whether out of ignorance or with another agenda, flew their drones too close to Dublin Airport, resulting in flight operations being suspended. However, that's not the worst part; the Irish Examiner reports that this current incident is the sixth 'drone-related' issue at this airport since January.

Ryanair boss, Michael O'Leary, is pushing for anti-drone technology to be installed at the airport as a matter of priority whilst publicly venting his frustrations at the politics that seem to have arisen around this issue. 

Unfortunately, this is an ever-increasing problem where the number of aircraft incidents involving drones increases every year. A proactive approach is the only way to tackle this growing problem. In 2020 a drone almost collided with a light aircraft over Perth, Scotland. Fortunately, the pilot was able to land at Perth airport. Another incident involved an aeroplane flying over Manchester when the pilot saw a 'football-sized' drone pass down the left-hand side of his aircraft.

It's become almost a weekly occurrence for some pilots. They regularly have situations where a drone has been spotted too close to an aircraft they are piloting. With 400+ reported incidents a year and rising, and an estimated 100,000 drone users here in the United Kingdom, the inevitable doesn't bear thinking about. 

Why can't airport radars pick up drone activity?

For the most part, the majority of radars do not have the capacity or resolution to detect recreational drones. Most air traffic control radars have a built-in filter that screens out small objects, such as birds. Unfortunately, an average drone is very similar in size to a bird and is easily misinterpreted by radar when and if it's detected.

This is why there is a need for dedicated technology, such as the LiveLink Aerospace - Air Intelligence System. This innovative air surveillance system provides a clear, accurate, user-friendly solution to monitoring and securing airspace, with the ability to deploy countermeasures if and when required.