Will the Heathrow drone protest ground flights?

Got a question? Our expert, Simon Calder, can help

No airline has cancelled flights as a result of Friday’s protest (PA)

Q How likely is the drone protest on Friday to ground flights? I’m due to fly in the afternoon, and am feeling upset and stressed about it.

David T

A Starting at 3am on Friday 13 September, a group of climate activists intends to fly a swarm of drones within the exclusion zone of Heathrow airport.

Around 150,000 passengers had their travel plans wrecked by someone operating a drone illegally in the airspace of Gatwick airport in the week before Christmas. So it is understandable that the 220,000-plus passengers booked to fly to or from Britain’s biggest airport on that day are worried about disruption – along with travellers booked on subsequent days, because the protesters plan a campaign lasting at least two weeks.

The protesters, who call themselves Heathrow Pause, say: “The planned nonviolent direct action … is designed to highlight the grave risk of airport expansion during the climate and ecological emergency.” They will tell Heathrow an hour in advance that, for example, “a drone might be flown at around head height in a public park in West Drayton”. They anticipate that all departures will be halted, and presumably expect arriving flights to be diverted to other airports.

Heathrow calls the plan “counterproductive and criminal”. Heathrow Pause says it will put “stringent safety measures and protocols in place” to prevent causing any actual danger to airline passengers. But the Metropolitan Police is concerned the drone protest could be exploited by a terrorist group. So there will be an extremely heavy security presence in and around the airport on Friday. Heathrow says: “We will continue to work closely with the police to mitigate the impact of their illegal action and ensure that the airport operates safely.”

No airline has cancelled flights to or from Heathrow as a result of the drone protest, and I predict that 13 September will prove to be just another busy Friday. If I am wrong, though, bear in mind that Europe’s air passengers’ rights rules mean the airline must provide an alternative flight as soon as possible, and provide meals and, if necessary, accommodation until you can get where you planned to be.

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