Three flights diverted due to drone activity at Dublin Airport

Three flights have been diverted after operations were suspended at Dublin Airport due to a drone sighting, the airport authority has said.

The Dublin Airport Authority suspended operations at the airport from 18.27pm until 18.59pm and notified Gardai.

“Three flights were diverted discommoding passengers as a result of this reckless & illegal activity of flying a drone within 5km of Dublin Airport,” it tweeted.

It is the latest in a series of delays at the capital’s airport caused by drone incidents.

The Dublin Airport Authority has called for tougher sentencing for people who illegally fly drones over Irish airfields, and for new technology that would bring drones down.

Despite the airport having a drone detection system in place, which gives early warning of illegal drone activity, there is no system in place to bring the drones down as there is at other airports.

Michael O’Leary, the chief executive of Irish airline Ryanair, said it was the sixth drone disruption in five weeks.

He apologised to passengers, and called on them to write to Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan.

“It is unacceptable,” he said. “Three flights have been diverted to Shannon and Belfast this evening while our minister for transport sits on his hands doing nothing.”