After being closed for two hours because a drone was spotted nearby, Alicante-Elche Airport opened again around 11:00 p.m. At 8:53 p.m., Aena said that one of these devices was there. From that point on, the operator stopped all flights to and from the terminal.
Ten international aircraft had to be rerouted to other nearby airports while the airport was closed. In particular, seven to Valencia, one to Murcia, one to Barcelona, and one to Palma de Mallorca. This event affected about 1,000 people in total, which set off alarms for security and the control tower.
The management of Miguel Hernández Airport had to report the event to the Guardia Civil for inquiry, as required by protocol. The National Police also sent its Aerial Means Unit specialists to the Torrellano area, which is close to the airport, to try to find the plane. The authorities employed the “AeroScope” system, which can find, follow, and stop drones that aren’t allowed to fly in certain areas.
The information given is only temporary because some flights were going back to their regular path to El Altet after normal operations had resumed. The six flights that had been delayed were able to leave between 11:15 and 11:30 at midnight.
Airport officials are having a hard time with drone intrusions. Just a week ago, the same thing happened in Palma de Mallorca, and not long before that, it happened in the Canary Islands. This kind of interference costs airlines a lot of money, particularly Aena. In addition, the person or people who did it could face fines of millions of euros.
Flights that were affected by the closing of Alicante airport
Based on the data that was recorded, the following flights were rerouted within those two hours:
There were additional delays for international aircraft leaving for Amsterdam (TRA6146), Liverpool (EZY3358), Manchester (RYR4028), and London Stansted (RYR6646).
Using drones comes with risks and fines
When drones are found in restricted locations, like near airports, aviation traffic must be stopped right away until there is no longer any risk to landing or taking off. The Spanish National Aviation Safety Agency (AESA) says that flying a drone without permission in regulated airspace is a highly serious crime that can lead to fines of up to €225,000 and even jail time.
Aena said that operations at Alicante-Elche Airport are slowly getting back to normal, but there are still some delays for flights scheduled for Monday night.
Author: Derek Appleton
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