Three flights were diverted over the weekend as a rogue drone forced the temporary closure of Fuerteventura Airport, causing a cascade of flight diversions across the Canary Islands, with one Ryanair service making an unscheduled landing here in Lanzarote.
The incident unfolded on Sunday morning when air traffic controllers detected an unauthorised drone operating in the controlled airspace around the Majorero airport. As a standard safety precaution, all arrivals and departures were immediately halted, and the Guardia Civil were notified.
A total of three flights were ultimately diverted from their intended destination.
One of the affected flights was a Ryanair service originating from Santiago de Compostela. After being left in a holding pattern over Fuerteventura, the pilots requested to divert to Lanzarote Airport. The control tower facilitated a direct approach to runway 03, bringing the passengers safely to ground, albeit on the wrong island.
Meanwhile, a Binter flight from Gran Canaria and a Vueling service from Seville, both left circling in the skies south of Fuerteventura, were finally rerouted to Gran Canaria airport after prolonged waits.
Fines for Drone Offenders
For recreational users, penalties can range from a minimum of €60 to a massive €225,000. Furthermore, offenders would be liable for compensating all material damages caused to airlines and passengers, on top of the fine itself.
The consequences are even more extreme for the professional use of a drone in a restricted zone, with fines ranging from €4,500 to an astronomical €4.5 million.
The search for the drone operator responsible for Sunday’s travel disruption is now underway.
Leave a Reply
Want to join the discussion?Feel free to contribute!