DUBAI // Drone detectors and heavy fines for people who fly the devices into flight paths are being called for by Emirates airline.
Thousands of passengers have faced delays and millions of dirhams were lost this year after drones caused the closure of Dubai International Airport on several occasions.
Emirates has called for authorities to take stronger action to discourage future incidents in and around Dubai airspace.
Network disruptions cost millions each time as airlines are forced to divert flights or hold aircraft until security checks have been completed.
Drones have forced the airspace around Dubai International to close on three separate occasions since June, with one half-hour closure in September causing delays to 85 departing Emirates flights.
“Flight diversions and extensive holding are costly. Financial aspects aside, there is huge inconvenience to passengers,” said Adel Al Redha, Emirates’ executive vice president and chief operations officer.
“It has a negative effect on Emirates’ reputation. Sending an aircraft to an alternative airport and managing delays to arrivals or departures is not as straightforward as it sounds.”
On Saturday, more than 5,000 passengers faced travel disruption when a drone closed Dubai International Airport for 80 minutes, resulting in the diversion of 22 inbound flights, including 11 operated by Emirates. The incident also affected flights at Sharjah International Airport.
The affected flights were diverted to other airports in the UAE, and these aircraft later returned to Dubai with delays ranging from two to four hours. The knock-on effect of the airspace closure affected two later Emirates flights, which also had to be diverted as the airport worked to restore normal schedules.
Other inbound flights were put on hold because of airspace congestion and outbound flights were delayed to accommodate connecting passengers after the airspace reopened.
In June, the airport was closed to aircraft for more than an hour, also because of a drone incursion, resulting in numerous flight delays and diversions, including 13 flight diversions for Emirates alone.
“Safety is always the number one priority in our business,” Mr Al Redha said. “Ensuring safe flight operations by closing the airspace when there is unauthorised drone activity, or other airspace incursions, is the right thing to do.
“However, the safety risk from unauthorised drone activity and the resulting disruption to customers and operations is unacceptable.”
Drone pilots operating without authorisation, a permit or in a restricted zone can face up to three years in prison or a Dh100,000 fine under civil aviation law in the UAE, though it is not known if this law has been enforced before.
There are four drone no-fly zones and nine areas requiring registration in Dubai, including the International Airport, Al Minhad Air Base, the Palm Jumeirah around Skydive Dubai and Al Maktoum Airport.
Flying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in nine other areas, including Downtown Dubai around the Burj Khalifa and the Skydive Dubai desert campus, will require permission.
Registration costs from Dh50 for hobbyists to Dh500 for commercial operators.
newsdesk@thenational.ae
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How Filipinos in the UAE invest
A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.
Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).
Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler
Price, base / as tested Dh57,000
Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm
Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.5-litre%204-cylinder%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20101hp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20135Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Six-speed%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh79%2C900%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
England World Cup squad
Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wkt), Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
What is 'Soft Power'?
Soft power was first mentioned in 1990 by former US Defence Secretary Joseph Nye.
He believed that there were alternative ways of cultivating support from other countries, instead of achieving goals using military strength.
Soft power is, at its root, the ability to convince other states to do what you want without force.
This is traditionally achieved by proving that you share morals and values.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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