Drone closes Gatwick Airport.

[randomness]

Someone has shut down Gatwick Airport, Britain's second largest airport, by flying a drone around it. Airport operations have been disrupted since last night, and Gatwick is not scheduled to reopen for some hours.

Hundreds of flights have been cancelled.

Wishing everyone flying into, out of, or through the best of luck.

Live updates from the BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/live/uk-england-sussex-46564814

Live updates from the London Evening Standard: https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/gatwick-flights-disruption-live-updates-as-drone-sightings-cause-busy-airports-runway-to-close-a4022201.html

Comments

[minoanmiss]

Eeek.

[intuition_ist]

dang, where's the ack-ack when you need it...

[randomness]

Hahaha!

Someone did suggest that deploying anti-aircraft batteries at civilian airports might have some downsides.

Someone else said they should have a radio controlled Spitfire fly around the airport to intercept and shoot down the intruding drone.

(There have been quite a number of interesting suggestions in the comment threads of various posts.)

[whitebird]

Attack drones with net guns are the way to go.

Exploded drone debris is not what you want to get sucked into jet engines by accident.

[randomness]

Exploded drone debris is not what you want to get sucked into jet engines by accident.

Yes, definitely. That was mentioned as one of the possible problems. Seems like a bad outcome.