On Friday, November 13, a passenger plane operating a flight from Prague to Warsaw was forced to abort its landing at Frederic Chopin Airport due to a drone that appeared on the approach path.
This was reported by Wirtualna Polska, citing Radio Eska and an airport representative.
According to the publication, the aircraft was already at low altitude and preparing to land when the crew received information about a drone in the airport area.
The pilot immediately stopped the descent, increased engine thrust and began to climb again. After the maneuver, the captain explained to passengers that the landing had to be aborted because of the detected drone.
The plane spent about another 15 minutes in the air over Warsaw, then landed safely on the second attempt. No injuries were reported.
The incident was confirmed by Warsaw airport spokesman Piotr Rudzki. According to him, the crew acted in accordance with standard aviation safety procedures.
“Such an incident did occur, but flight safety was in no way compromised. This is a standard procedure, and flights are operating normally,” — the airport representative said.
The airport administration stressed that the incident did not lead to a halt in airport operations. Other flights continued to operate normally.
Drone flights in the area of Chopin Airport are strictly restricted. To launch a drone in controlled airspace, appropriate permission from the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency is required.
Violation of these requirements may lead to criminal liability. In particular, for endangering air traffic, Polish law provides for punishment of up to five years of imprisonment.
The identity of the drone operator, who caused the landing to be aborted, has not yet been established. Polish authorities have not reported any arrest.
Based on materials from: Wirtualna Polska, Super Express.
