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Drone attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated and a major concern for UK aviation security. Authorities warn that organized drone attacks could bring the entire airport network to a standstill, with cheap drones and cyber threats posing an unprecedented challenge.
The aviation industry is facing a new threat from drone attacks, with several airports in Europe forced to shut down due to sightings of drones in restricted airspace. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) boss Rob Bishton warned that organized drone attacks could bring the entire UK airport network to a standstill. Drone incursions are seen as an evolving threat, with cheap drones becoming increasingly sophisticated and posing a challenge for authorities. The CAA has implemented measures to prevent drone attacks, but Bishton admitted that these defenses are not yet effective against organized operators using low-cost drones. Experts say that current rules barring drones from flying near airports may not be enough to prevent future incidents, and that authorities need to take the threat more seriously.
The aviation industry is facing a new and growing threat: drone attacks. In recent weeks, several airports across Europe have been forced to shut down due to sightings of drones in restricted airspace. This has led to warnings from authorities that organized drone attacks could bring the entire UK airport network to a standstill.
At the Airlines UK conference, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) boss Rob Bishton warned that it was "entirely unrealistic" to think that drone incursions would not cause disruption in the future. He stated that both drones and cyber threats are evolving at pace and volume, making it increasingly difficult for authorities to keep up with the latest technologies.
Bishton's comments come just weeks after a cyber incident at Collins Aerospace disrupted airline check-in systems across Europe, including at Gatwick airport. The incident, which was claimed by the Everest ransomware crew, forced ground staff to revert to manual processing for several hours.
The CAA has been monitoring the threat of drone attacks for some time and has implemented measures to prevent them. However, Bishton admitted that these defenses are not potentially as effective as they need to be against what he described as a new wave of "more organized" operators using "non-attributable, very low cost" drones.
The warning revives memories of the 2018 Gatwick fiasco, when repeated drone sightings grounded more than 140,000 passengers and shut the airport for three days. That incident led to tighter UK rules barring drones from flying higher than 400 feet or within a kilometer of an airport boundary.
However, experts say that these rules are not enough to prevent future incidents. An aviation industry source told The Register that drone sightings almost always trigger immediate restrictions. "The [airline] manuals identify drones as a mid-air collision threat and go on to say they should be reported to ATC," our source said. "From my experience, ATC drive the process, they close the airspace until drone threat has passed. Normally results in airborne holding as long as you can then divert."
The source added that all it takes is a willing "volunteer" to make a few calls to ATC and chaos ensues. For extra spice, have a few sightings reported by people around the airport too.
Bishton also threw cyber attacks into the mix, warning that "cyber technology is evolving at pace and at volume." His comments come just weeks after another cyber incident at Collins Aerospace disrupted airline check-in systems across Europe.
The threat of drone attacks is real and growing. With cheap drones still buzzing around airports and hostile folk testing Europe's air defenses, the regulator's message couldn't be clearer: brace for impact.
In recent weeks, several airports across Europe have been forced to shut down due to sightings of drones in restricted airspace. This has led to warnings from authorities that organized drone attacks could bring the entire UK airport network to a standstill.
The latest scare came from across the Channel, where both Brussels and Liège airports were shut last week after drones wandered into restricted airspace. Denmark has also had four airports briefly close in recent weeks after similar incidents. Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen said she couldn't rule out Russian involvement.
London took the hint, with Defence Secretary John Healey announcing that the UK would provide military assistance to Belgium. "As hybrid threats grow," Healey said, "our strength lies in our alliances and our collective resolve to defend, deter and protect our critical infrastructure and airspace."
Heathrow's chief executive Thomas Woldbye said he was "increasingly concerned" about the threat but insisted that the airport has "one of the best systems in the world" to deal with it. That may be true, but the reality is simple: if a drone enters an airport's airspace – or the approach path of a jet – lights stop. Air traffic control (ATC), working with police and the airport, decides when it's safe to resume.
The aviation industry must take the threat of drone attacks seriously. With cheap drones becoming increasingly sophisticated and the rise of cyber threats, authorities are facing an unprecedented challenge. The CAA has warned that both drones and cyber threats are evolving at pace and volume, making it increasingly difficult for authorities to keep up with the latest technologies.
The warning revives memories of the 2018 Gatwick fiasco, when repeated drone sightings grounded more than 140,000 passengers and shut the airport for three days. That incident led to tighter UK rules barring drones from flying higher than 400 feet or within a kilometer of an airport boundary.
However, experts say that these rules are not enough to prevent future incidents. An aviation industry source told The Register that drone sightings almost always trigger immediate restrictions. "The [airline] manuals identify drones as a mid-air collision threat and go on to say they should be reported to ATC," our source said. "From my experience, ATC drive the process, they close the airspace until drone threat has passed. Normally results in airborne holding as long as you can then divert."
The source added that all it takes is a willing "volunteer" to make a few calls to ATC and chaos ensues. For extra spice, have a few sightings reported by people around the airport too.
In recent weeks, several airports across Europe have been forced to shut down due to sightings of drones in restricted airspace. This has led to warnings from authorities that organized drone attacks could bring the entire UK airport network to a standstill.
The threat of drone attacks is real and growing. With cheap drones still buzzing around airports and hostile folk testing Europe's air defenses, the regulator's message couldn't be clearer: brace for impact.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/Drone-Attacks-The-New-Threat-to-UK-Aviation-Security-ehn.shtml
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2025/11/12/uk_aviation_boss_says_organized/
https://www.ft.com/content/eed5ea40-3d46-453c-b422-98a6d2e2b8c4
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/2084480/ukrainian-drone-blitz-shuts-moscow-airports-kyiv-attack
Published: Wed Nov 12 04:26:54 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
