Drones Disrupt Singapore Flights For Second Time In A Week

Flights at Singapore’s main Changi airport, one of Asia’s busiest hubs, were disrupted for the second time in a week due to drone sightings, authorities said.

Eighteen flights were delayed and seven diverted due to the proximity of drones to the airport, according to Singapore’s Civil Aviation Authority, CAAS.

The incident comes less than a week after one runway was suspended at Changi and dozens of flights were delayed due to drone sightings.

“Fifteen departures and three arrivals were delayed and seven flights were diverted due to bad weather and unauthorised drone activities,” CAAS said in a statement on Tuesday.

‘Errant operations’

“Members of the public are reminded that the authorities take a serious view of errant operations of unmanned aircraft which may pose threats to aviation or endanger the personal safety of others.”

The agency said offenders could be fined up to $20,000 Singapore dollars (£11.596) and faced 12 months in prison.

It said its probe was ongoing.

Last Wednesday 27 flights were delayed and one flight was diverted at Changi after what CAAS said were “confirmed sightings of drone flying in the vicinity of Changi Airport”.

Airport disruption

Airports around the world have become increasingly concerned about drones as the devices become increasingly common.

Last December Gatwick Airport was shut for 33 hours over three days due to repeated drone sightings.

About 1,000 flights were cancelled or delayed, with 140,000 passengers affected.

The chaos caused Gatwick and Heathrow to invest millions in anti-drone technologies.