Airports Council International (ACI) World Annual General Assembly (WAGA) held on 4 April in Hong Kong, China unanimously expressed its position on mitigating the threat of unwanted drones affecting airports.
The resolution makes it clear that the industry needs to take measures to protect themselves from unwanted drones and encourages national authorities and local law enforcement agencies to take responsibility for preparation and enforcement of anti-drone measures.
The resolution provides a basis for airport action and appeals for coordinated measures together with governments and other concerned parties. Based on advice from national authorities, it proposes that these parties establish a concept of operations and standard operating procedures for anti-drone measures at airports.
The resolution makes recommendations for good practices such as coordinating with drone industry experts to understand the latest developments, as well as providing training to airport operational personnel on policies and procedures on the operation of authorized and unauthorized drones.
“The recent drone-related disruption at airports in Europe, and the potential impact of drones on airport safety and operations, have raised significant questions for operations around the world and their preparedness to handle situations like this,” said ACI World director general, Angela Gittens (pictured above)
“This resolution encourages collaboration among all industry stakeholders to find solutions to this challenge. By sharing experience and lessons learned on anti-drone measures and drone related incidents, best practice can be adopted across the industry.”
The 29th ACI Asia-Pacific/World Annual General Assembly, Congress & Exhibition held in Hong Kong, China, 2 to 4 April, hosted by Hong Kong International Airport, attracted more than 850 delegates from around the world.
