acoustic equipment added according to risk and budget. “For airports looking to acquire a
C-UAS system, knowing where to start is often the first and biggest challenge,” said Nick McRobb, senior director of sales at Dedrone, which has anti-drone systems installed at Newcastle and other UK airports. “The instinct can be to try and solve every threat at once, but attempting to build a comprehensive system from day one is rarely effective and can quickly exhaust a limited budget.” McRobb recommends starting with detection and identification, then expanding the system as the threat evolves and budgets allow.
The airport response Managing drone incidents in which the operator is not a misguided hobbyist, but someone aiming to create a serious security issue, elevates the problem. Who has the authority, competence, training and technical capabilities to shoot down or capture drones heading towards an airport? “They can’t employ military-grade effector technology such as jammers
“It’s almost certain in the next five years there will be a drone incident that will shut down an airport”
because that is illegal in the UK,” says Lippett. “But detection technology is definitely something that airports have invested in, as part of a wider counter- drone strategy.” Part of the problem, Lippett points out, is that airports have no control over areas beyond the perimeter fence. When it involves a fast-moving drone, by the time it’s in the airport’s controlled airspace, it’s already too late. “To help manage the threat, they will need to work, if possible, with their geographical neighbours and aviation stakeholders,” Lippett added. This approach underpins the guidance from the UK’s National Protective Security Authority in its Countering Threats from Uncrewed Aerial Systems – Making Your Site Ready document. This recommends
measures including community engagement, security-focused communications, airspace restrictions and geo-fencing to help airports protect their space. “We have been able to pinpoint the hot spots of unauthorised drone activities,” said Michael Murphy, head of media at the Manchester Airport Group. “So when we see likely hobbyist drones launching in a park or a garden, we have put up signs in the neighbourhood warning people not to fly drones. As a result, we’ve seen those flights reduce significantly.” Most airports, airfields and spaceports are surrounded by a flight restriction zone in which all drone flights are prohibited, unless they receive authorisation from the airport.
Seen, but not stopped A growing range of tools are available to help airports manage low-level airspace, designed to help make quick decisions on whether drone flights can be allowed or not. Digital platforms such as Air Portal can also streamline approval for legitimate drone flights close to airports,
Autumn 2026 | Advance 21
Photo credit: Gorodenkoff/
stock.adobe.com
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