As drones have become more popular, so have near misses with aircraft in New Zealand.

Recently, a drone was sighted within a kilometre of Marlborough Airport, with the airspace having to close and Police notified.

It’s a timely reminder that a drone is an aircraft, and their operators are pilots with responsibilities under the Civil Aviation Act 2023. Drones are prohibited from operating within four kilometres of an airport without approval.

When drones are spotted flying too close to the airfield, breaches are reported to the Civil Aviation Authority, Marlborough Airport Chief Executive Dean Heiford said.

“Safety is our number one concern, and closing the airfield impacts incoming and outbound flights.

“Unauthorised drones flying within four kilometres of Marlborough Airport pose a serious risk to aviation safety and have an immediate effect on our air transport operations here at Woodbourne. It can cause long flight delays, as aircraft attempting to land must keep circling while drone operators are located on the ground,” he said.

Last year, a drone caused a near collision with an aircraft as it landed at Auckland Airport. In Hawke’s Bay, criminal charges have been brought against a person for operating a drone several times near Hawke’s Bay airport without the consent of Napier aerodrome air traffic control.

In recent years, several drones have been spotted by pilots and security patrols close to Marlborough Airport and flying at night, which is also prohibited.

“Our air space is open 24/7 for flights, such as medical evacuations and military operations. Unauthorised drone use endangers passengers, crew and aviation safety in Marlborough,” Mr Heiford said.

All drone flights must be logged with AirShare to gain authorisation from air traffic control for controlled airspace.

Visit www.marlboroughairport.co.nz for more information, including a new drone hub with a map of local airspace and an application form to authorise drone use near Marlborough Airport.

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