“Just last week, we started working with our colleagues in pilots' union BALPA to draw up proposals for the regulation of drones,” said Prospect national secretary Steve Jary.

“Whatever happened at Heathrow yesterday is a wake-up call. The commercial use of drones is going to be a fact of life and with reports of near misses involving drones increasing rapidly, it is only a matter of time before there is a major accident.

“The implications of a catastrophic collision with an airliner approaching or leaving a major airport such as Heathrow are obvious. The government and the CAA must put proper safety regulation in place before it is too late.”

Prospect has members in safety regulator the CAA, as well as NATS, the air traffic service provider, and a number of airlines.

For further information contact:
Steve Jary
020 7902 6695 (w)
07713 511722 (m)
[email protected]
 
Andrew Child
020 7902 6681 (w)
07770 304480 (m)
[email protected]