On Friday, Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport in China reported a total of four drones illegally flying within the protected zone of the airport, with one of the group even passing below an incoming flight. More than 10,000 passengers were recorded as stranded at the international airport after more than 60 flights were grounded by the said drones. As far as lists of incidents like this are the concern, this is said to be the third time in recent days.
As reported by South China Morning Post, the authorities in Chengdu Airport, located in Sichuan province, have pledged to crack down on illegal use of drones after the said incident. Because of this, sSome 58 flights were diverted to other airports, which includes Xian and Chongqing. Aside from that, four flights were also forced to return due to a drone passing just underneath a plane coming in for a good landing.
Illegal flying drones could be a threat to safety and protection as they could easily be sucked into an engine or transformer of the plane. Chinese authorities have been cracking down on the illegal use of drones, according to Mashable. Furthermore, officials are also enforcing rules, regulations, and guidelines on a drone flying especially inside the boundary of the airport.
On the side note, it is not just Chinese airports that have been disturbed by the illegal flying of drones as of late. Last week, flights were also suspended shortly in Ireland's Cork Airport after a drone was sighted flying over the airfield are. This happens despite the Cork City airport being the first in the country to launch a distinct "no drone zone" within 4.5km of the airfield.
All commercial drone pilots must be licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). To receive a license from the organization, the drone owner must pass an aviation test that covers basic knowledge of airspace, airport operations, weather and FAA regulations. He/she must also pass a Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) background screen. Finally, must also register the drone that is intended to use.
