Gatwick airport delays: Army called in to help battle drone chaos with flights grounded for at least 33 hours

Questions are being raised about how airports can stop drones from accessing runaways after at least two devices near the airfield at Gatwick caused travel chaos.

Reports of drone incidents at airports across the country have increased sharply in recent years, going from 29 in 2015 to 120 in 2018, according to the UK Airprox Board (UKAB).

Drones are not only a problem for airports - they have also been an issue for prisons, where attempts have been made to send everything from phones to drugs.

Sussex Police believe one of the drones flown at Gatwick was an industrial model, which can fly higher and longer.

The law on drones - or UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) - has been tightened in recent years but Jon Parker, managing director of UK drone training company Flyby Technology, says rules are irrelevant to bad actors.

"They will always get through. This isn't something that rules can help with because it doesn't matter what the rules were today, they've just broken those rules," he explained.

"If you tightened up the rules, all you would end up doing is restricting those good actors from their operations, rather than targeting the ones that you're after - so really, key pieces of infrastructure need to be protected in a different way."

PA

Various media outlets have reported police snipers are trying to shoot down the drones if they appear again over Gatwick. 

Sussex police refused to confirm if snipers had been deployed, and would only say they are "considering all options" in dealing with the ongoing incident.

No flights will take off from or arrive at Gatwick befre 5pm, Eurocontrol, the European aviation agency, has announced.

It keeps on being pushed back ... Eurocontrol, the European aviation agency, has now announced Gatwick will not reopen for flights until at least 6pm.

The Independent's very own Lucy Gray has been caught in the mayhem triggered by the drones. She is currently attempting to fly back to Gatwick from New York. 

Former bank worker Lexie Heath had to be given a wheelchair after the stress of having her flight cancelled exacerbated her heart problem, PA reports.

The 73-year-old, who lives in London and was scheduled to fly to Glasgow to be with family for Christmas, said she was not used to travelling alone as her husband died five months ago.

She said airport staff had been "fantastic" in looking after her and that she had been stuck on a stationary plane from 7am for around four hours this morning.

She said: "I have a heart problem and when I get stressed it races too fast and sometimes skips a beat.

"I can get a pain down my arm as well, like pins and needles. This stress has really set me off, very much so. My legs just go.

"I'm not that used to travelling alone, it used to be with my husband.

"I'm going back up to spend Christmas with my family. My brother died three weeks ago and now I'll have the extra stress of trying to organise parts of his funeral. I could have really done without this."

A replacement flight from Gatwick tomorrow morning has been organised for her, she added.

Armed officers have been photographed on the airfield at Gatwick airport amid reports snipers may attempt to shoot down drones if they reappear.

The Independent's Simon Calder has filed on passenger rights amid the chaos at Gatwick:

In the chaos and confusion at Gatwick Airport, with tens of thousands of travel plans in disarray, many passengers have said to The Independent that they have not been provided with their rights under European air passengers’ rights rules. This briefing should provide clarity.

If a flight is cancelled, what is the passenger entitled to?

Whatever the circumstances of the cancellation, the European rules are clear. It is the airline’s responsibility to sort out your journey, finding another flight – either on its own services or a rival – and providing meals and, if necessary, accommodation until it can get you where you need to be.

What if the airline says “you’re on your own”?

You can rebook on a different airline and book a hotel until the flight, but you must do so as cheaply as you can and also keep notes of what you were told by the airline so you can challenge any refusal to provide recompense.

Any cash compensation?

No. This counts as "extraordinary circumstances" and no payment is due to passengers. But there is evidence that some airlines are conflating their duty of care with the "extraordinary circumstances" clause and saying they do not need to provide hotel rooms because the incident is not their fault. This is not the case.

What about consequential losses such as hotels or rental cars?

Unless you have booked a package holiday or have gold-plated travel insurance, you won’t be able to claim compensation for facilities that you can’t use.

When will Gatwick get back to normal?

It will take several days – and probably several more for everyone to get where they need to be. With every minute that goes by, another planeload of passengers will find their travel plans in tatters. 

The drones being used to disrupt Gatwick airport's operations are believed to be "of an industrial specification", police have.

Sussex Police and Surrey Police are searching jointly for the pilots of the devices, first spotted more than 15 hours ago.

The European Regions Airline Association, which represents continental short-haul operators, is the latest organisation to call for tougher drone laws in light of today's travel chaos.

The body said the lack of regulation had been "of great concern" for some time.

Director general Montserrat Barriga said:

The use of airport geo-fencing systems which track the trajectory of a drone will go some way to combating this menace, but it is now a priority to toughen laws and create larger no-fly zones around airports.

Equally, considering more drones are likely to be given as gifts this Christmas, it is clear more education must also be given to ensure the public know how to fly in a safe and sensible manner.

In the meantime, it is imperative that all governments take the necessary steps to expedite the regulation process of drone operations, both commercial and recreational.