In Spain, five flights filled with British tourists had to be diverted to other destinations after a mysterious drone was spotted near Alicante Airport. This was reported by Daily Mail, writes UNN.
Details
The AENA airport administration suspended operations shortly before 9 PM last night after a drone was detected in the airspace. Normal operations were only resumed around 11 PM last night.
It was confirmed overnight that ten international flights bound for the Costa Blanca had to be diverted to nearby airports: seven to Valencia, one to Murcia, one to Barcelona, and one to Palma de Mallorca.
Five flights were from the United Kingdom:
- three Ryanair planes that departed from Manchester, London (Stansted), and Newcastle;
- an easyJet flight from Liverpool and a Jet2 flight from Manchester.
The drone alert also caused delays for holidaymakers on flights heading to Alicante. According to local reports, about a thousand travelers were directly affected.
Police continue their investigation, trying to identify the drone operator.
Earlier this month, chaos erupted at Palma Airport after a mysterious drone was spotted near the runways. And in late September, flights were also diverted from Fuerteventura Airport after a drone was detected.
At the time, it was reported that at least three planes filled with holidaymakers were turned back from the island's airport.
Police are still trying to identify the person responsible for the problems in Mallorca. Recent reports suggest they could face a fine of up to £3.9 million.
The highest fine can be applied if the drone operator turns out to be a professional, such as a pilot or aviation engineer. If the person turns out to be a non-professional, the likely fine will be around £195,000.
Addition
In recent months, at least ten European countries have recorded drone incursions into their airspace, causing concern and leading to increased security measures. Romania, Poland, Denmark, Finland, Norway, France, Germany, Lithuania, Estonia, and Belgium have witnessed these incidents, some of which are linked to Russia.