After drone collision over Canada, UAE authorities have unlicensed devices in their sights

A drone’s collision with a commercial aircraft in Canada - the first recorded in North America - was a timely reminder for authorities in the UAE of how legislation needs to tighten up airspace safety in Dubai.

Aviation experts discussed the latest innovations and industry demands at the Unmanned Aerial System Forum in Dubai on Monday, hours after reports emerged of a drone striking the wing of a Skyjet flight en route to Quebec City on October 12.

The aircraft landed safely with all passengers and crew unharmed, but the incident highlighted the importance of regulation over the latest threat to airline safety in the UAE.

Anti-drone technology is already in use in sensitive areas of the UAE, but the legislation over responsibility for damage and injury remains unclear.

Monitoring the import of drones into the UAE for recreational use is also a concern, experts said.

Although a licence and registration is required for hobbyists, many drones are imported as toys and freely sold in markets and toy shops with little regulation.

The loophole is posing a potential threat to air safety, according to Michael Rudolph, head of airspace safety section at the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority.

“We are looking at a number of technological solutions to bring down drones,” said Mr Rudolph.

“The issue we have is safely landing them. If you neutralize a drone, it is going to fall somewhere - but who is responsible if it falls onto someone or damages property?

“We are in the process of assessing all of the available technology to find a solution, and there is a lot of it.”

Dubai Airport has a number of alerting systems to advise them of a drone penetration.

Commercial drones are becoming more common in industry, and are now used to deliver coffee, parcels, blood packages to hospitals in remote areas and to monitor speeding traffic.