Hobbyists advocate for less stringent rules but events in London might see Governments cracking down on UAVs

London’s second-largest airport Gatwick was shut down yesterday when remotely-operated drones were spotted hovering over the runway. These small craft pose an existential issue to aircraft as they can damage them, possibly even seriously enough to make them crash during the critical take-off or landing phase of flight, and in the process, kill hundreds of people. Authorities, fearful of a crash, did the right thing and shut operations at the airport but unfortunately given that over 100,000 people use Gatwick during the festive season to either go on holiday to sunnier climes or visit family in Britain, this has been an unparalleled disruption. While this incident is by far and away the most serious one where drones have impacted flight operations, it is not the only such. A few months ago flight operations were halted at the Delhi Airport during the heavy evening rush hour, causing major delays and thousands of angry and frustrated passengers because a drone was sighted near the runway. While the drone in Delhi was apparently being used by a wedding at one of the many venues that dot the periphery of the airport and was not malicious like the unmanned craft in London appears to be, authorities could not take any risks whatsoever. The events just highlight the major risks that drones pose to commercial flights, and also the helplessness of the authorities to counter them. While in London the police had calculated that there was a risk of stray bullets if they shot down the drone, it is likely that authorities elsewhere might be forced to employ sharpshooters to take down errant or malicious drones in addition to jammers and other anti-drone technology. The safety of air passengers is paramount over here. And sadly for drone hobbyists and technology evangelists, these incidents will lead to a stringent crackdown on flying  UAVs. That said, the United Kingdom has some of the strictest rules when it comes to drone operations which failed to prevent an incident like this. At the same time drones are also being used for industrial espionage. At least one Indian carmaker has complained about how drones have buzzed over its facilities taking photographs of prototype vehicles. The possibility of a small drone to carry out targeted assassinations of political or business figures is also not inconceivable.

There is no doubt that drones can be used for good, like delivering medicines to remote areas as has been occurring and can dramatically transform the world of business with drone deliveries being spoken of by e-commerce giant Amazon. And they are incredibly great fun for hobbyists and give a different perspective on the world by being able to shoot incredible pictures and video which till recently needed specialised helicopters. In fact, this is why they have become a staple for amateur and professional filmmakers alike. There is also little doubt that most drone users are law-abiding citizens across the world but latest events highlight that civil aviation, police and even military authorities across the world need to work out methods to tackle errant and malicious drones which can cause chaos or even worse.