Dubai: Authorities say an errant drone flying near Dubai International Airport forced the world’s busiest international airfield to close for nearly an hour and a half.
The airport posted on its Twitter account that it closed its airspace from 7.25 PM to 8.49 PM (local time) today. It stressed that laws prohibit drone hobbyists from flying within 5 kilometers of the airport, which is the base of the long-haul carrier Emirates.
While Dubai has hosted drone racing, it faces a serious problem with hobby drones flying into the airport’s airspace. An incident in September shut the airport for a half hour, while another in June closed it for 69 minutes.
Since February, drone owners have been required to register with the United Arab Emirates’ General Civil Aviation Authority.
PTI