Dubai International closes airspace because of drone activity

Dubai International suffered another airspace closure this morning due to drone activity.

A Dubai Airports spokesperson said the airspace around the airport was closed from 8:08am to 8:35am because of unauthorised drone activity.

This resulted in a number of delays.

Airspace around Dubai International previously closed for more than an hour in June because of drone activity.

Read: Dubai briefly shuts airspace after unauthorised drone activity

Following today’s incident, arrivals resumed at 8:35am and departures at 8:40am with some restrictions. Full operations resumed at 9:07am.

“Dubai Airports is working closely with its stakeholders to minimise customer inconvenience. Safety is our top priority and Dubai Airports reminds all UAV operators that any and all activities are not permitted unless authorised by regulatory authorities and are strictly prohibited in restricted areas including within 5km of any airport or landing area,” a Dubai Airports spokesperson said.

Dubai Civil Aviation Authority introduced no-fly zones for drones earlier this year following a similar incident in 2015

Each minute Dubai International’s airspace is closed is said to cost the local economy $1m.

Read: Dubai sets no-fly zones for drones

The UAE plans to introduce new laws soon to heavily regulate the sale of drones and their operations, according to reports this week.

Read: UAE to introduce new laws soon to regulate drones