SINGAPORE: Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) today confirmed sightings of unauthorised drones flying in the vicinity of Changi Airport on June 18 and 19 that had caused the airport to operate with one runway.
To ensure safety of aircraft and passengers, operations on the runways except for one were suspended for short periods between 11pm on June 18 and 9am on June 19, CAAS said in response to media queries.
In total, CAAS said about 37 scheduled departure and arrival flights were delayed.
“One arrival flight was diverted to Kuala Lumpur,“ it said.
A multi-agency team including CAAS, Changi Airport Group, Singapore Armed Forces and Singapore Police Force was activated for the search and locate operations. Investigations are ongoing.
“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,“ warned CAAS.
It said offenders could face a fine not exceeding S$20,000 or imprisonment for a term of up to 12 months, or both. — Bernama
