By Chu Pei-hsiung and Sam Garcia / Staff reporter, with staff writer
A drone entered the restricted airspace around Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport this morning, affecting nine flights as the airport suspended takeoffs and landings for 10 minutes to ensure safety.
The airport detected an unidentified drone signal within the no-fly zone at 8:23am and suspended runway operations at 8:27am, resuming them at 8:37am once the area was confirmed to be safe, Taoyuan International Airport Corp said.
The airport operator said it worked with partner agencies immediately after detecting the unauthorized drone signal to verify the safety of the surrounding airspace.
Photo: Bloomberg
The incident affected one arriving flight and eight departing flights, all of which were adjusted in accordance with standard procedures, it said.
Drones entering the airport’s restricted airspace pose a serious threat to flight safety, the airport said.
Those who breach regulations face fines ranging from NT$300,000 to NT$1.5 million (US$9,253 to US$46,264) under the Civil Aviation Act (民用航空法), it added.
Drone operators should make sure to fly in legal areas and never operate within an airport’s no-fly zone, it said, adding that people have been fined and prosecuted for illegal drone flights.