Drone drama at Newquay

A flybe flight on approach to Newquay Airport with 62 passengers was apparently buzzed by a drone at 900ft on Wednesday in what police said was a worrying escalation of the problem.

One report said the aircraft was “targeted” by the device and there was widespread concern that the incident should have happened at a greater height than previous encounters.

Police inspector Dave Meredith, said: “The aircraft was approximately two miles from the airport when it reported a near-miss with a drone which flew alongside.” Neither the drone nor its operator could be found.

Meredith, who said his force’s specialist drone unit was investigating, described the incident as “incredibly concerning”; with the close proximity of the drone to the aircraft showing “a complete disregard by the operator for public safety”. 

The case is also worrying as it happened as Newquay is getting busier. The airport last month celebrated its busiest month since July 2009, with more than 50,000 passengers, a 63% increase over July last year.

Managing director Al Titterington said: “The airport is a vital lifeline, so it’s great to see demand remains high following the Brexit vote, and more and more people are benefitting from the increased routes and capacity to and from Newquay this year.”

www.cornwallairportnewquay.com

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