Dubai authorities are grappling with new ways of keeping the emirate's skies safe after drones halted air traffic at one of the world's busiest airports three times last year, AFP reported Tuesday (February 21st).
The delays were necessary to protect passengers, officials said, but they hit thousands of travelers and cost airlines millions of dollars.
Drones pose a "threat to the flying public" and "to an aircraft in operation", said Ismaeil al-Blooshi, deputy head of the air safety department of the UAE civil aviation authority.
He compared drones to the threat posed by birds, but said they were less predictable and harder to avoid.
The cost of closing airspace for one hour runs into millions and creates a long backlog, but there is no room to compromise on safety, al-Blooshi said.
"The economic impact is not even on the table" when considering the risks, he said. "The number one priority is avoiding harm to passengers."
After last year's incidents, operator Dubai Airports stressed that flying drones within five kilometres of airports was illegal.
New regulations introduced last year stipulate up to three years in jail or a fine of 100,000 dirhams ($27,000) for flying a drone over a prohibited zone.
Dubai police now have the ability to overpower a drone and bring it down.
The aviation authority has introduced a mobile phone application that clearly marks out no-fly zones for drones across the country, telling users immediately where they can and cannot fly.
