Flights suspended at Gatwick after reports of drones
Flights at London's Gatwick airport remained suspended five hours after the UK'S second-busiest airport halted them to investigate reports of two drones.
fPlanes were unable to depart, while a number of flights scheduled to land were diverted to other airports, Gatwick said in a statement.
Gatwick apologised on Twitter to affected passengers, adding that safety was its "foremost priority". The airport advised people flying or collecting someone from Gatwick on Wednesday or Thursday to check the status of their flights.
An increase in near collisions by unmanned aircraft and commercial jets has fuelled safety concerns in the aviation industry in recent years.
In Britain, the number of near misses between private drones and aircraft more than tripled between 2015 and 2017, with 92 incidents recorded last year, according to the UK Airprox Board.
There were multiple reports of drone sightings since the initial report of two drones at 2103 GMT on Wednesday, Gatwick said.
Gatwick's statement did not provide an estimate for the resumption of flights.
"We will update when we have suitable reassurance that it is appropriate to re-open the runway", said the airport, which is investigating the situation alongside police
Published: by Radio NewsHub