The whole catastrophe cost London Gatwick over £50m. It has become one of the most widely publicised cases of drone disruption in the aviation industry, but it’s far from a one-off. In fact, another drone incident caused the same airport to close again just four months later.

Drone Disruptions Affecting Airport Reputation

Incidents like this are likely to become more common as drone technology gets increasingly sophisticated and easier to access. And if a drone strike happens in your airspace, it could seriously harm your airport’s reputation.    

6 Ways Drone Incursions Cause Long-term Damage to Your Reputation

Reputational damage is a difficult thing to measure. But ultimately, the cost of a drone strike goes deeper than money lost. It affects a wide range of stakeholders, from loyal passengers to pilots and airlines.

Here are six of the most serious consequences of drone disruption that can damage your airport’s standing.

1. You’ll Lose Customers and Revenue 

Safety and reliability are paramount to a positive customer experience. If your passengers aren’t confident that you can deal with a drone threat, they won’t want to fly to or from your airport. They’ll use one of your competitors instead, or another mode of transport altogether.

2. You’ll Have a Media Storm to Deal With

A major drone incident will invariably attract media attention. If you’re not prepared to respond to the press with a clear and concise message about how you’re handling it, you leave your airport open to speculative and unfair criticism. And that can really damage your airport’s public image.

3. Airlines Will Favour Your Competitors 

Do you know how much easyJet lost because of the Gatwick incident? £15m. Another case of drone disruption at Dubai International Airport in 2016 caused Emirates to lose millions of dirhams.

Airlines have their own reputations to uphold. If they keep having to delay flights and lose money because of drone disruption at your airport, they could well take their business to one of your competitors.  

4. Your Employees Won’t Feel Safe

It’s not just passengers you have a duty of care to. Continual drone strikes endanger your ground staff and operations teams. When a drone threat grinds everything to a halt, your people are under enormous pressure to sort out the issue as quickly as possible. If these incidents keep happening, it creates a stressful and hazardous work environment that will make it harder to attract and retain talent.

Then there are the pilots. If their ability to keep passengers safe in-flight is compromised, they may not feel confident operating at your airports and notify airlines of their concerns.  

5. Regulators Will Get Involved

The closure of any airport doesn’t go down well with regulators and politicians, especially if it’s at a key hub location. If you’re repeatedly having to shut your doors because of drone disruption, these authority groups will be on your back, putting your airport under greater scrutiny. Not good for your reputation. 

6. Shareholders Will Think Twice About Investing

If the merger and acquisition activity of recent years is anything to go by, airports represent a highly attractive investment for shareholders. But if they don’t think you can handle drone threats, those opportunities could lose valuation in the process.

Don’t Let Drone Disruption Start Affecting Your Airport's Reputation

In 2014, there were nine near-misses between drones and planes in the UK. By 2018, that number had climbed dramatically to 125. And those are just the near-misses that were reported. Clearly, drones pose an increasing threat to the aviation industry – and your airport’s repute. If you don’t want to end up like Gatwick in 2018, you need to be prepared.  

To prevent drone strikes, you must be able to detect and monitor targets quickly and accurately. Deploying a member of the ground team with a pair of binoculars won't get the most effective results. You need the ability to identify and track drones across your entire airport, day and night, in any conditions.

That’s why it’s worth investing in an effective drone detection radar that can:

• Keep track of multiple drones during an incursion
• Tell drones apart from other small targets such as birds
• Offer 360-degree coverage day and night

Of course, there are many different systems on the market – and they’re not all created equal. If you’re not sure what features and capabilities you need, be sure to read our latest guide, What to Look for in a Drone Detection System. It will help you choose a solution that’s effective, future-proof, and upholds your airport’s reputation.