Singapore: Drone sightings disrupt flights at Changi airport

Singapore Changi Airport closed one of two runways for 10 hours after a drone was sighted in the vicinity on the night of June 18 through the morning of June 19. As a precautionary measure, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) closed runway 20R, which affected the delay of 37 departures and arrivals, including one that was diverted to Kuala Lumpur. The author was on one of the affected flights when the Cathay Pacific flight was instructed to hold over Malaysia for an additional 20 min. before landing at the functioning runway 20L. This is Changi’s first major flight disruption as a result of errant drones, and comes after similar incidents in London Gatwick and Dubai airports. “The authorities take a serious view of errant operations of unmanned aircraft, which may pose threats to aviation or endanger the personal safety of others and will not hesitate to take enforcement action against those who contravene regulations,” CAAS said. <br/>