Norway: UAV incidents close runways at Oslo airport

Two incidents involving dangerous use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) near Oslo Gardermoen Airport (OSL) have led to a stiff warning from Norwegian airports authority Avinor. On June 13, two instances of UAVs being flown illegally near the airport forced air traffic controllers to close runways, diverting several flights to Torp, north of the Norwegian capital. A similar incident in mid-May also resulted in runway closure for around 20 minutes. “We take these incidents very seriously,” OSL director of airside operations Henning Bråtebæk said. “This is illegal, and we ask that everyone who owns and operates a drone to be careful and familiarise themselves with and respect the rules.” He said drones constitute a particularly serious hazard for aircraft in the landing or takeoff stage, “quite simply because the aircraft are so close to the ground that there is a real risk of a collision between aircraft and drone. This could lead to an adverse aviation incident or in the worst case a plane crash where a lot of people are endangered.” Rules for UAV use in Norway include a prohibition on flying within 5km from airport perimeter fences unless special permission has been granted, and an altitude limit of 120m.<br/>