Police are investigating persistent illegal drone activity near an airport that caused significant disruption and led to several flights being diverted over the weekend. State of Jersey Police said they first received reports of unauthorised drone activity within restricted airspace over Jersey Airport at around 8.20pm on Friday (October 30), which continued until around 10.30pm, resulting in a number of flights being diverted.
Further sightings and disrupted flights
There were further sightings of drones being flown over the airport the following day, with four flights "unable to land as scheduled", according to an update from Jersey Airport. Disruption continued into Sunday morning as more drones were spotted on Saturday night.
"Due to the illegal and persistent drone activity around the airport on Saturday evening, regrettably four flights were not able to land as scheduled," Jersey Airport said in a statement late on Saturday. Passengers travelling on Sunday were advised to contact their airline for flight updates.
Police response and ongoing investigation
"Police investigations are ongoing, and every available avenue is being pursued to identify those responsible," State of Jersey Police said in an update on Sunday. The force also said it is working closely with UK authorities and specialist agencies.
"We continue to ask islanders to be our eyes and ears and urge anyone who may have information concerning the individuals to come forward," the force said. Police previously said they launched a "multi-agency response" to find those responsible, working with the Honorary Police, Channel Islands Air Search, Government of Jersey and Ports of Jersey staff.
Search and impact on passengers
Officers and partner agencies searched several areas in the west of the island, but no drone operator has yet been identified. Three inbound flights were diverted on Friday night due to drone activity, and one of them ultimately landed safely in Jersey at around 11.45pm, police said.
Jersey Airport added: "Our first priority is the safety of passengers, crew and public. We treat these incidents with the utmost seriousness. We also fully appreciate the significant disruption, concern and frustration that this illegal activity has caused passengers, their families, friends and colleagues."
Chief minister's warning
Jersey's chief minister, Senator Lyndon Farnham, said those responsible should "expect to face the full consequences of the law". In a statement published in the early hours on Sunday, he said the deliberate and unlawful operation of drones in the vicinity of Jersey Airport over the past two evenings has caused significant disruption to passengers, airlines and airport operations.
"People should be under no illusion about the seriousness of these actions. Operating a drone close to an airport is not a prank or a harmless hobby. It puts public safety at risk, disrupts critical transport infrastructure and can have significant consequences for hundreds of travellers and businesses," he said. "To those responsible, the message is clear: if you are identified, you should expect to face the full consequences of the law."
