The Irish Airline Pilots Association (IALPA) has again called on the Government to take action on the issue of illegal drone flights in Dublin Airport.

Drone flights have been responsible for a series of flight disruptions in recent weeks.

In a radio interview last week, IALPA president Captain Evan Cullen said drones present a “real life risk” to passengers and crew, and are capable of destroying a jet engine or breaking through the glass of a cockpit window.

He said the current lax regulatory environment meant that drones continued to present a significant risk. IALPA has continued to lobby the Dublin Airport Authority, the Irish Aviation Authority, and the departments of transport and justice since 2017 on the issue,

He criticised the “very poor response” of the various bodies, and ministers, and said no major improvements had taken place. He added that current regulations, including owner-registration and the enforcement of ‘geo-fencing’ technology in drones, were inadequate.

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