Gatwick drone attack ‘probably inside job’
The drone attack that forced Gatwick to suspend flights before Christmas, causing 1,000 flight cancellations, is likely to have been carried out by someone with intimate knowledge of the airport, police now believe.
More than two months after the attack on December 19, no-one has been charged with the incident, which caused misery for 140,000 passengers.
However, a source told The Times that police think it could have been the work of a former employee as the drone operator clearly had good knowledge of the airport layout.
The unnamed source told the newspaper: "[The drone pilot] knew the blind spots for it, where it could not be ‘hit’. It was clearly someone with really good knowledge of Gatwick, someone who had worked there. Hypothetically it could have been a disgruntled employee."
Sussex police initially arrested an innocent couple in connection with the attack, and later caused confusion by suggesting there may have been no drone at all, before backtracking.
They have now collected 130 witness accounts, according to The Times, and made more than 1,000 door-to-door inquiries as part of their investigation. Officers from the Met and three other police forces are also helping with the case.
The source told the paper that the drone was seen hovering close to the airport air traffic control tower, where workers were unable to film it because of a ban on mobile phones. Other staff on the ground also claimed that it appeared to be taunting them, flying low overhead and flashing its lights in their direction.
A second source allegedly told The Times that the theory that the drone operator was someone who had good knowledge of the airport layout was ‘running high’.
The no-fly zone for drones around airports is to be extended on March 13 from 1km to 5km following the disruption at Gatwick in December. This will mean that thousands of people living close to airports won’t be able to fly drones at home. Those who break the new rules will face up to five years in jail.
Police are also to be given new stop-and-search powers to tackle pilots of rogue drones and model aircraft.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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