Errant drone temporarily shuts down Dubai’s busy airport

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.
MENA
1 min read
The New Arab & agencies
30 October, 2016
Dubai airport is among the busiest in the world [Getty]
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 p.m. to 8:49 p.m. Saturday.

It stressed that laws prohibit drone hobbyists from flying within 5 kilometers (3 miles) 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.
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