A pilot taxiing to the runway for takeoff was the person who reported the drone sighting at Dublin airport this morning.
Dublin Airport Authority’s external communications officer Siobhán O’Donnell told RTE that the report came during a conversation between the pilot and air traffic control.
“It was an absolute sighting of a drone at the airfield.”
All activity at the airport was suspended for 30 minutes, in keeping with protocol in such circumstances, she said. “The suspension of flight operations is not taken lightly.”
Once there was no further sighting for the 30 minutes service was resumed.
During the suspension, three flights were diverted – two to Belfast and one to Shannon. Ms O’Donnell said that flight schedules are returning to normal and all airlines are confident that they will catch up this afternoon, she said.
This is the first time there has been drone activity at Dublin airport, she added.
Fianna Fáil TD James Lawless is calling on the Taoiseach and the Minister for Transport to implement his Use of Drones Bill which he introduced two years ago.
Legislation and other measures need to be taken urgently, he said.
Mr Lawless said that when he last called on the Taoiseach to introduce the legislation (following the disruptive drone activity in Gatwick last December), Mr Varadkar had said there was no need.
However, Mr Lawless said that the existing legislation doesn’t go far enough especially given “the volume of devices out there.”
The capacity of drones and the technology has expanded. “Anyone can walk into a shop and buy a drone and fly it over Dublin airport without sanction,” he warned.
“At the moment the gardaí have no powers to intercept a drone. Other airports in Europe have taken measures such as having birds of prey to attack drones.
“We need to get on board, we need to get our heads around this quickly.”
