New drone prevention project at Dublin Airport
Gardaí at Dublin Airport are seeking the public’s help to prevent incidents involving drones like that which brought operations there to a standstill last month.
A flyer has been distributed to plane spotters at Dublin Airport welcoming them to participate in the new Dublin Airport Drone Prevention Project.
This is in addition to an initiative launched by the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) in 2017 specifically aimed at drone uses.
The latest campaign by gardaí based at the airport is aimed at informing the public, including plane spotters, of the dangers of drones being operated anywhere close to the airport and to ask them to report and document such occurrences.
On February 21 last, operations at Dublin ground to a standstill for half an hour after a drone was spotted in the vicinity of the airfield.
Hundreds of plane spotters descend on the airport every day documenting and photographing arriving and departing aircraft from a number of vantage points.
Flyers were distributed spotters at various popular plane spotting locations around the airport last week.
It read: “As I am sure you are aware, illegally operated drones around the airfield and the flight paths, pose an extreme danger to aircraft and to the operation of the airport itself.
“An Garda Síochána would like to take this opportunity to invite you to play your part, and help us protect the travelling public and keep Dublin Airport a safe place to travel to and from.”
The leaflet continued: “We are asking you to report any sightings of drones around the airfield and to call 999 immediately.
“We would be grateful if you could report what direction the drone came from and, if you are able, to take a picture of it as well. This will help identify it in the event of a criminal investigation.”
