Suspected drone activity diverts flights from Sharjah airport

As many as six flights were diverted from Sharjah International Airport off the back of suspected drone activity in the area on Thursday, November 28, local media reported.

Six inbound flights of Sharjah carrier Air Arabia were rerouted to Ras Al Khaimah, but returned to Sharjah shortly after.

The diversions took place between 7am- 9am this morning, according to reports.

The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has forbid flying drones near, around and over airports in the country. All drones need to be registered with the GCAA to fly them legally across the UAE, according to UAE government’s official portal.

Drone owners or operators who fly the machine without a permit from the authorities or prior to obtaining a registration certificate will face an imprisonment term not exceeding one year and/or a fine of Dhs50,000, according to the GCAA website.

In September this year, Dubai International Airport (DXB) also shut down briefly on suspected drone activity, due to which two inbound Emirates flights were diverted to nearby airports.

Read: Dubai airport briefly halts flights on suspected drone activity

Also read: Dubai sets no-fly zones for drones