Gatwick Incident Prompts Concerns Over Drone Safety

Reported aerial drone sightings closed London Gatwick Airport for a third day Friday, prompting concerns about drone operation near major airports.

The airport closure has stranded thousands of passengers in London during the busy Christmas travel season and highlighted the importance of drone safety across the world.

In the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration generally mandates that, absent its advanced approval, no recreational drones can be operated within seven miles of airports. Pittsburgh International officials have taken that a step further by successfully working with municipalities around the airport to adopt ordinances that further restrict drone usage in safety critical areas such as the land extending out from the ends of the runways.

“We do think there’s a role for municipalities to regulate drone usage with these types of public safety issues based on land-use ordinances,” said Vince Gastgeb, vice president of community and government affairs. “We want to look local