Residents with any information have been urged to contact the concerned authority
emergencies8 hours ago
Air traffic was brought to a standstill for more than an hour at Dubai International Airport on Saturday, following the presence of an unauthorised drone in the airspace.
This is the second time such an incident has happened in less than two years in Dubai. And if calculations from Michael Rudolph, head of aviation regulation and safety at the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), are anything to go by, the incident may have just cost Dubai close to $69 million.
Speaking on the sidelines of the World Aviation Safety Summit earlier this year, Rudolph had said: "$1 million per minute - that's what it cost the economy of Dubai", when referring to an earlier incident, which saw the airspace above Dubai airport shut for 55 minutes.
On Saturday, air traffic was suspended between 11.36am and 12.45pm by Dubai Air Traffic Control Tower. A Dubai Airports statement said it was "due to unauthorised drone activity". As a result, a number of delays and flight diversions were sustained.
Speaking to Khaleej Times on Saturday afternoon, a Dubai Airports spokesperson confirmed that "the majority of planes already in the air were diverted to Dubai World Central Airport".
DXB airspace was closed due to unauthorised UAV activity for 69 minutes resulting in a number of diversions. Airspace reopened at 12.45However, he could not confirm if the Dubai Police had identified the drone's operator at that time, and was unable to comment on the amount of flights affected by the incident.
- Dubai Airports (@DubaiAirports) June 11, 2016
Be drone smart1. DON'T FLY NEAR AIRPORTS: Drones can interfere with commercial aircraft, and can cause severe safety issues in some cases. General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) regulations prohibit the flying of drones near, around or over airports. 2. DO OBTAIN PROPER PERMITS: According to GCAA regulations, all drones must be registered with the authority. If you are flying a drone in Dubai for commercial reasons, then you will need to obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the DCAA. This can only be obtained after you are registered with and approved by a related authority, usually Dubai Film and TV Commission (DFTC). 3. DON'T FLY OVER RESIDENTIAL AREAS: For reasons of privacy, the federal and municipal authorities forbid the flying of drones over residential areas. 4. DO OBTAIN PERMISSION FOR PHOTOGRAPHS: Privacy comes into play here too, as do restrictions on snapping some government buildings. Check with the GCAA or DCAA for more details. 5. DO ENSURE IT IS IN EYESIGHT: Drones must always be kept within visual sight of the operator, only fly during daylight and at no higher than 400ft (122m) above ground level. 6. DO INFORM OF AN ACCIDENT: If there is an accident, the operator must inform the GCAA. 7. DO ENSURE UPMOST SAFETY WHEN FLYING: For the protection of people, the drone cannot fly within 200 metres of a person or building and cannot be flown overhead of groups of people at any height. 8. DO FLY WITHIN AN AVIATION CLUB: Drones weighing more than 5kg should be flown within the perimeters of licensed aviation clubs. 9. DO SEEK ADVICE FROM THE GOVERNMENT: To ensure you do not commit any offences as an active drone operator, your best bet is to consult with the DCAA or GCAA first. |
Residents with any information have been urged to contact the concerned authority
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