A new legal statutory instrument has been approved by the telecoms regulator, Comreg, that ensures the DAA has the power to employ anti-drone technology that will help prevent incursions into the airspace at Dublin Airport. Last year, the airport had to deal with drone incursions that saw flights grounded and diverted, and inconvenienced thousands of passengers.
The illegal drone activity at the airport in 2023 cost the aviation industry well over €1m.
Dublin Airport – which is operated by the DAA – already has a drone-detection system in place. But drone detection typically involves the use of small radar systems that do not interfere with existing critical technology at airports. They are designed to distinguish birds from drones, for example.
With the formal new licence procedure, the DAA can continue using advanced anti-drone technology that permits it to jam signals to drones operating around Dublin Airport, for instance.
Airport operations at the capital’s international gateway were suspended for 40 minutes on one occasion in 2023 and were also suspended in preceding days after unauthorised drone activity was detected near the airfield.
Soon after, Kenny Jacobs, the chief executive of the DAA, said that following government approval, new equipment had been ordered.
The technology that was in use at Dublin Airport at the time – called Dedrone – helped identify drones but did not have the capacity to force the landing of a device, for instance.
Mr Jacobs said last year that the new technology would ensure any future runway closures because of drone incursions will be of shorter duration or not happen at all.
The Government gave the green light for an additional layer of anti-drone equipment to be installed at Dublin airport following the high-profile incidents.
Now, an official move by regulator Comreg ensures that the DAA can proceed with fully licensed anti-drone measures.
With the consent of Environment, Climate and Communications Minister Eamon Ryan, it has now amended legislation to allow new anti-drone technology to be used by the DAA at Dublin Airport.
“We are limited in what we can say on the drone technology we have in place for obvious safety and security reasons,” a DAA spokesperson said.
“This approval is merely a formalisation of the licence process. Dublin Airport has had counter-drone technology in place since July 2023, which has been operated under a ‘test licence’.
“Dublin Airport is fully equipped, and the team fully trained, to deal with rogue drones on a 24/7 basis, should the need require.
“We would remind the public that it is illegal to fly a drone without permission within 5km of Dublin Airport.”
