Heathrow incident highlights risk of drones on flight paths
A British Airways flight carrying 132 passengers and five crew from Geneva is believed to have been hit by a drone as it approached London's Heathrow Airport yesterday. This again highlights increasing concerns that drones, which are too small to appear on air traffic control radar screens, could destroy an airliner's engine or break a cockpit windscreen. Tens of thousands of drones, which cost as little as £25, have been bought in the UK over the past few years and can be operated without a licence or registration with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), as long as they are not used for commercial purposes.

A British Airways flight from Geneva is believed to have been hit by a drone as it approached London’s Heathrow Airport shortly after noon local time on Sunday (Apr. 17), with 132 passengers and five crew members aboard.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson told The Evening Standard that the drone bounced off the front of the aircraft, and the plane was able to land safely. The pilot reported the collision to airport authorities.

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“Our aircraft landed safely, was fully examined by our engineers and it was cleared to operate its next flight,” a spokesperson for British Airways told the BBC.

Aviation police have launched an investigation into the incident, but no arrests have been made.