In the past year, over 7500 drone flights have been recorded near Riga Airport, and most of them occurred without coordination, said Maris Gorodtsov, director of the Civil Aviation Agency, in an interview with the program "900 Seconds" (TV3), as reported by LETA.
"About 40% were agreed upon, but 60% were not. Some do this out of ignorance, while others do it intentionally," added Gorodtsov.
He emphasized that some people violate the rules due to ignorance, but there are also those who act deliberately. Nevertheless, the main goal is not to disrupt airport operations: people use drones for filming, photography, hobbies, or events.
However, there have been exceptions. Referring to the incident on January 13, when drones were spotted near the airport, Gorodtsov suggested that this might have been a particularly organized action. In other cases, malicious intent was not recorded.
Many drone owners believe they are flying in areas where they do not disturb anyone, such as away from houses or populated areas. However, they often forget that flying drones is prohibited within a five-kilometer radius of the airport. If a drone is spotted, the police arrive on the scene, and the owner is fined.
As previously reported, amendments are planned to increase fines for launching drones near the airport: for individuals from 500 to 1000 euros, and for legal entities from 1500 to 2500 euros.
Gorodtsov also explained why these restrictions are so important. A drone's battery is a heavy and hard object. If it enters a jet engine or hits the front of an airplane, it can create an extremely dangerous situation. Even a relatively small drone can cause much greater damage than a bird.
"Airplanes are currently not certified for collisions with drones, and this can have catastrophic consequences. Airplanes are certified for bird strikes, but not for such hard objects," emphasized Gorodtsov, urging drone owners to be responsible and follow flight rules.
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