On Sunday, a drone was observed in the airspace above the airports in Stavanger and Haugesund. This caused the airport to be closed for about an hour. news has gained access to the recordings from the flight tower at Stavanger Airport on Sunday evening. Play audio – Good evening. I don’t know if you got the last one? – Yes, we heard some rumors about drone activity at Sola. – Yes, we have just closed. Last observed 15–20,000 feet southeast of the airport. We are not in control…So you can take it easy at first. Several pilots and a police helicopter observed the drone during the time the airport was closed. Play Audio – There have been visual sightings, yes. Both from a police helicopter and from pilots who have seen it up to 20,000 feet. – Yes, it’s good, thank you. As a result of the situation, several departures were postponed and cancelled. Play audio – As mentioned, we do not have control over the drone. The last observation was some distance southeast at the Bjerkreimssenderen. 15–20,000 feet. If you want to continue and eventually enter the airport, you will be allowed to. Then we cannot say anything about reopening. The incident joined a series of suspicious drone activity recently. Among other things, two cases have been registered near the Kårstø plant in Tysvær. On Wednesday, Bergen Airport Flesland was closed after drone observations, which led to thousands of passengers being affected. Wants system to block drones Leader Robert Gjønnes of the Norwegian Air Traffic Control Association is clear that the association wants a system that makes it easier to detect and possibly block drones near the airspace. – We absolutely want detection equipment to be implemented in the operational units, writes Gjønnes in an e-mail. He points out that there is a framework for how the drones are to be handled, and that he expects drone operators to adhere to and respect the framework. – If it turns out that you are constantly having challenges with drones within the prohibited zone, the ultimate consequence will be that you can force a ban within certain limits. The organization Lederne is asking for a total ban on drones now that the situation is tense. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre spoke on Wednesday during the national meeting of the Trade Union. Then he said, among other things, that it is not acceptable for foreign intelligence to fly drones over Norwegian airports. – We do not want anyone to fly this type of craft over important installations in Norway. We say no to it, we are going to pursue it and stop it. Støre also added that there is no direct threat to Norway, but that the situation is serious. Recently, several drones have been observed in the airspace around the airports at Sola and Flesland. The conversations in the recordings in the case are between air traffic controllers at Sola and pilots in the air. Photo: Kristoffer Apall Can do great damage, according to the website Airport Technology, Oman was the first country in the world to adopt a system that can block drones from entering the airspace around the airport. Such systems are now also found at major European airports. At Heathrow in London, the system came into place in January 2020 (external link), the year after the city experienced major problems with drone observations around the airports. Gatwick was closed in the middle of Christmas traffic, affecting 110,000 air passengers. Last year, a plane from Widerøe was only 60 meters away from a drone crash. In 2017, a commercial airliner crashed with a drone over Quebec City Airport in Canada. The plane sustained minor damage and landed safely. In an interview with the Canadian broadcaster CBS, Transport Minister Marc Garneau said that it could have ended catastrophically if the drone had hit the engine. At the University of Dayton, they have researched how much damage drones can do in collisions with aircraft. In 2018, they carried out tests they believed showed that even small drones could do great damage. In the video below you can see these tests. Plans to scale up Avinor has long had a plan to scale up and expand drone detection, according to Erik Lødding, head of public relations. – Within a short time we will have systems ready to equip even more airports. For security reasons, Lødding will not comment on which airports this applies to, or details about the systems. Aleksander Wasland is captain in Widerøe and union leader in the Norwegian Aviation Association. He says cases of drone sightings are something pilots experience more and more often. Aleksander Wasland is leader of the Norwegian Aviation Association. Photo: Hans Ivar Moss Kolseth / news – We are uncomfortable sharing airspace with anything that should not be there, and we have long shouted warnings about unauthorized drone activity, says Wasland. The association has long been critical of the use of unregulated drones. – We want the drones to be better integrated as part of Norwegian aviation and that the space to operate this unregulated in the backyard must be tightened. In other words, the amateur drone business must be regulated much more strongly. Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram (Sp) Photo: Jøte Toftaker / news – Taking care of security Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram confirms that the situation is dramatic when airports are closed as a result of drone observations. – We are seeing an increase in drone activity, and preparedness has also been strengthened. It is the police who have the main responsibility for domestic security, and the Norwegian Armed Forces support with an increased presence. He points out that there is no reason to feel insecure. – Avinor follows this. When airports are closed, it is precisely because they are looking after security. Gram will not comment on what the Norwegian authorities know about who is behind the drone activity.
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