Irresponsible use of a drone jeopardized safety on April 13th and prevented two planes from landing at Dubrovnik Airport, the Croatian Civil Aviation Agency announced.
They warned that fines for those who endanger safety with drones are up to 20.000 euros.
"In the immediate vicinity of Dubrovnik Airport during the final approach for landing on Sunday, April 13, a dangerous approach of a drone to a passenger plane was recorded at an altitude of about 200 meters, whereby the drone pilot's irresponsible behavior endangered the lives of the crew and passengers, the plane, and the lives and property of people on the ground," the statement said.
The plane's crew, according to the HRT portal, forwarded the observation to Croatian Air Traffic Control, which informed the police. Dubrovnik Airport was closed for some time due to the incident, and two planes that were supposed to land were diverted to Split Airport.
HRT also reports that the person who was flying the drone caused significant damage to both airlines and passengers.
Such disruptions can have a cumulative effect on the entire planned operation of the carriers involved, with direct damage ranging from 15.000 to 190.000 euros per diverted flight. The damage caused to passengers, such as missed obligations, is often not quantifiable, the statement said.
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