ACI World conference investigates mitigating the threat of drones

At Airports Council International (ACI) World Annual General Assembly (WAGA) – held on 4 April 2019 in Hong Kong – China unanimously expressed its position on mitigating the threat of unwanted drones.

It was made clear that the industry needs to take measures to protect themselves and national authorities and local law enforcement agencies were encouraged to take responsibility for the preparation and enforcement of anti-drone measures.

The resolution provides a basis for airport action and appeals for coordinated measures together with governments and other concerned parties. Based on advice from national authorities, it was proposed that these parties establish a ‘Concept of Operations’ and ‘Standard Operating Procedures’ for anti-drone measures at airports.

Moreover, it was suggested that national authorities should obtain guidance on the requirements for airports to implement anti-drone technologies. The requirements should be based on a risk-and-impact assessment considering local conditions and operational requirements.

Furthermore, the security risks associated with the malicious use of drones, as part of the airport Security Risk Assessment, were placed under scrutiny. The assessment should take into account different possible motivations for unlawful drone use including terrorism, activism and espionage.

The resolution makes recommendations for good practices such as coordinating with drone industry experts to understand the latest developments, as well as providing training to airport operational personnel on policies and procedures on the operation of authorised and unauthorised drones.

ACI World Director General, Angela Gittens, commented: “The recent drone-related disruption at airports in Europe, and the potential impact of drones on airport safety and operations, have raised significant questions for operations around the world and their preparedness to handle situations like this. This resolution encourages collaboration among all industry stakeholders to find solutions to this challenge. By sharing experience and lessons learned on anti-drone measures and drone related incidents, best practice can be adopted across the industry.”