Dubai: Air traffic in Dubai was halted for nearly an hour on Friday due to public misuse of recreational drones near the flight path of commercial airlines, a senior aviation official said.
Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ahli, Director General of the Dubai Civil Aviation, and CEO of Dubai Air Navigation Services, told the official agency WAM that air traffic in Dubai came to a standstill from 3:00 to 3:55 on Friday as a result of malpractices of some members of the public who flew unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) -- or "drones" -- in the air navigation passages meant for commercial planes.
He said such recreational drones pose a serious risk to the safety of air navigation as well as passengers, he said.
Warning
''These UAVs are strictly prohibited in Dubai air space for any purpose without a prior permit from the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority,'' he said, urging individuals to maintain safety of air space.
He also warned legal action will be taken against offenders.
Major General Ahmed Mohammed bin Thani, Assistant to Dubai Police Commander-in-General for Exits Affairs, said upon receiving a decision from the Dubai Air Traffic Control Tower to suspend air traffic, Dubai Police had taken all precautionary measures under the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)-prescribed procedures on air navigation safety and diverted planes from Dubai International to Al Maktoum Airport.
He urged members of the community to observe laws regulating these hobbies and avoid flying UAVs in designated air traffic passages for the safety of navigation.
In the US, aviation authorities are receiving reports almost on a daily basis about drones flying near airplanes and helicopters or close to airports without permission.
