A total of 12 flights that were scheduled to land at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on New Year’s Eve were turned around or redirected to Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) and Kaohsiung International Airport, because an uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) reportedly invaded the Taoyuan airport’s airspace.
A Cathay Pacific pilot at about 7pm on Tuesday reported seeing a drone flying at an altitude of 2,000 feet (610m) about 4.5 nautical miles (8.3km) from the Taoyuan airport, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said on Tuesday.
Fearing that the drone could compromise aviation safety, the company decided to immediately suspend landing operations, it said, adding that departures were not affected.
The company then informed the Aviation Police Bureau, as well as police in Taoyuan’s Guanyin (觀音) and Dayuan (大園) districts, who conducted an inspection of the area.
Landing operations resumed at 8pm after police failed to locate the drone.
Four of the 12 flights were diverted to Songshan airport and six to Kaohsiung, while two cargo flights returned to Fuzhou and Wenzhou in China, TIAC said, adding that an estimated 2,248 passengers were affected.
“We would like to remind people that flying drones or other aircraft around the airport is banned, as doing so could threaten aviation safety,” TIAC said.
An amendment to the Civil Aviation Act (民用航空法) that takes effect on March 31 stipulates a fine of between NT$300,000 and NT$1.5 million (US$9,965 and US$49,824) for UAV operators found flying drones within a certain distance of the outer boundary of an airport or airfield in a manner that could be hazardous to flight safety.
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