TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
When drone poses threat to human
Discussions or news reports regarding drone disruptions of airport operations in Indonesia are lacking, perhaps because there has been no major or fatal accident resulting from illegal drone operation here, unlike in other countries.
Change Size
Mamiraua Institute biologist Daiane da Rosa gets back a drone during the field work of EcoDrones expedition at Mamiraua Sustainable Development Reserve in Amazonas state, Brazil, on June 27, 2018. (AFP/Mauro Pimentel )
L
ast April in eight commercial aircraft were forced to fly around and cancel landing at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, because of a drone that flew illegally near the runway. The incident came after a series of other drone disruptions affecting the busy airport’s operations.
Drone-related disruptions have also occurred at several other airports. At least 30 drones have entered the airspace of Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in East Jakarta in the last few years. In 2016, drone disruptions occurred at Sultan Syarif Kasim International Airport in Pekanbaru, prompting the Indonesian Air Force to threaten to shoot down all drones entering the airport’s airspace, considering that the Air Force has an air base located in the same area.
The disruptions, posed by dangerously- operated commercial drones, are generally related to violations of maximum flight altitude and no-fly zones around airports. They happen because the drone pilots are unaware of or intended to violate drone safety and operating rules.
Discussions or news reports regarding drone disruptions of airport operations in Indonesia are lacking, perhaps because there has been no major or fatal accident resulting from illegal drone operation here, unlike in other countries. Gatwick Airport in London was closed for 36 hours last December because of sightings of multiple drones that roamed within the second busiest airport in England. The closure affected more than 1,000 flights and about 140,000 passengers.
Studies show that drones can cause more damage to aircraft than a bird strike simply because most of their components, e.g. batteries and cameras, are made from heavy plastic and metal. They may cause catastrophic damage in midair by ripping aircraft wings, windscreens and engines and even spark fires with their lithium batteries.
Indonesia has already enforced regulations and possesses capabilities needed to prevent and overcome drone disruptions. The transportation minister issued in 2015 regulations No. 90, 163 and 180, which concern maximum altitude, flight permits, pilot certification, registration of drones and certain areas designated as restricted or limited airspaces for drones.
The government has also regularly publicized the regulations and provided training on how to operate drones safely.
