Near misses between aircraft and drones triple in just two years

Near misses between aircraft and drones have more than tripled in two years.

Newly released figures show that in 2017 some 92 incidents were recorded, up from 71 in 2016.

In 2015, there were just 29 near misses.

Twenty-eight of the near misses were classified as having the most serious risk of collision. This included incidents at Heathrow, Gatwick and London City airports.

Flights at Edinburgh, Manchester, Liverpool and Bristol were also affected.

Former RAF and British Airways pilot Steve Landells said that the figure could actually be larger than recorded.

He said: “It’s really hard to see something that small. There’s a possibility that there are a lot more near misses that aren’t being seen.

“This could just be the tip of the iceberg.”

In October last year, a drone passed directly over the right wing of an Airbus 319 as it prepared to land at Gatwick Airport.

A report by the UK Airprox Board found that in the captain’s opinion, the drone had put “130 lives at risk.”

The government is due to publish a draft drone bill in the coming months. It’s thought that the draft bill could ban all drones from flying above 400 feet or near airports.

It’s thought that drone users will also have to sit safety awareness tests while drones weighing over 250 grams will in future have to be registered.

Drone ownership has increased in recent years as the gadgets become more available and affordable.