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The UK is expanding drone no-fly zones around major airports
Just a couple of months after drone sightings grounded flights at one of the UK's busiest travel hubs, the nation is expanding drone no-fly zones around airports. As of Wednesday, the no-fly radius is widening from one kilometer to five kilometers (around three miles).
Newark Airport temporarily halted flights after drone sightings
Just a month after reports of drone activity repeatedly closed Gatwick airport in the UK, Newark Liberty International Airport temporarily halted arrivals on Tuesday. In a tweet after it reopened, Newark said there were reports of drone activity "to the north" earlier. Reuters reports on an FAA statement saying that two drones were sighted at about 3,500 feet above Teterboro Airport, which along with Newark is operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. In the UK, EasyJet said that the Gatwick closings grounded 1,000 flights, caused 400 flight cancellations and cost it 15 million pounds in passenger compensation, calling the incident a "wake up call" for the industry. Gatwick and Heathrow purchased anti-drone systems after incidents, although police still have not identified anyone behind them after arresting and releasing two people.
Heathrow and Gatwick airports buy anti-drone systems after scare
London's airports don't want a repeat of the drone panic that left Gatwick travelers grounded for days, and they're willing to spend loads of cash to keep their skies safe. Heathrow and Gatwick have spent millions of pounds on "military-grade" anti-drone systems in the wake of the scare. It's not clear what they've purchased, but it might be a Rafael Drone Dome system that can jam drone communications. The company told the Times that it had seen interest from UK customers, but it's not clear if that included the two airports.
UK police release two people arrested over Gatwick airport drones
So much for law enforcement coming any closer to pinpointing the culprits behind the drone flights around Gatwick Airport. Sussex Police have released the man and woman arrested on December 21st after determining that they're "no longer suspects" behind the multiple incidents. Don't anticipate new suspects in the future, either. Detective Chief Superintendent Jason Tingley said his force continued to "actively follow lines of investigation," but didn't hint at where those might lead.
UK police arrest two over Gatwick airport drones
Drones flying around London's busy Gatwick airport have disrupted air travel since Wednesday evening, but now the Sussex Police Department has announced two arrests connected to the incidents. The airport reopened for service Friday morning, but the Guardian reports that another drone sighting shut down flights for about an hour around 5 PM. Police Superintendent James Collis said the arrests occurred around 10 PM (local time) Friday. There are no further details on who the police nabbed or what's behind their "criminal use of drones" but the police are remaining on site and asking the public to call in if they have any information.
Drones cause holiday chaos at one of London's busiest airports (updated)
Drones spotted over the UK's second-busiest airport have halted flights since Wednesday evening (December 19th), heavily disrupting the holiday travel of tens of thousands of passengers. Flights at London's Gatwick airport couldn't take off or land, and airport authorities said that 110,000 passengers on 760 flights were affected yesterday. Operations briefly resumed at around 3 AM, then were halted about an hour later when the drone was spotted again. The airport finally reopened this morning, though the Gawick airport authority has advised travelers to check their flight's status before traveling.
British Airways IT failure cancels many flights out of London (updated)
Airline glitches and the ensuing pandemonium are nothing new, but they've just hit one of the world's largest travel hubs. British Airways has suffered a global IT system failure so serious that it cancelled all its flights out of London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports before 6PM local time on Saturday. Some parts of BA's website and check-in features were unavailable, too, and passengers on London-bound BA flights also faced delays. They frequently can't even book new flights to make up for the old ones.
Oyster and contactless cards now stretch to Gatwick Airport
If you live in London and regularly take the train to Gatwick Airport, we've got good news: starting today, you can use your Oyster card to travel to the station just outside departures. That applies to contactless cards and Apple Pay too, negating the need to buy a standalone ticket. Convenient, especially if you're up at the crack of dawn and want to avoid waiting for a self-service machine in the cold. (We've been there, and it's not fun.) Of course, you might get a cheaper fare by ordering a ticket online in advance. If you're poorly organised, however, or simply not fussed about saving a few pounds, this should make your next trip a little less stressful.
Google's Street View tour of Gatwick Airport is its biggest European indoor map yet
If you're one of those people who wants to know exactly what to do and where to go when you get to an airport, Google's latest Street View update might come in handy. As part of its biggest European indoor mapping project so far, the search giant took its trolley units to Gatwick, the UK's second busiest airport. The resulting 2,000 images were stitched together to create a virtual representation of its North and South terminals, allowing you, and an estimated 34 million yearly passengers, to familiarize yourself with its maze of connected corridors and multitude of shops and restaurants. Hit up Google Street View to begin your not-so-personal guided tour, but bear in mind you won't make it onto the tarmac and any duty free deals that you spot in stores may no longer apply, because the footage was collected in June.
Supermarket launches trial virtual stores in UK airport, readies fresh milk for your return
UK supermarket Tesco has decided to bring its virtual supermarket screens (successfully trialled in South Korea last year) to Gatwick Airport. There's ten touchscreens in total, dotted around the departure lounge, with eager shoppers able to make a preemptive grocery strike with their smartphone. On-screen barcodes for around 80 items can be scanned by compatible -- that is, Android and iOS -- devices and added to your shopping basket. Following online payment, your bounty of food can then be assigned a delivery date up to three weeks in advance. The virtual shelves will stay up for two weeks; the UK retailer hasn't commented on further roll-out or extension plans. However, in an airport, during summer vacation, is probably the last place we'd muse on what we're going to eat on our eventual return. If you're wondering exactly how to shop with a four-foot touchscreen, Tesco walks you through it at the source link below.
Kingston unveils flash storage vending machine in UK
We wouldn't recommend hopping on the next non-stop flight to London Gatwick Airport's North Terminal or anything, but for those passing through in dire need of an extra SD / CF card or USB drive, Kingston's got your back. Joining SIM cards, iPods, digicams, shoes, and all sorts of other bizarre goods, Kingston's self-branded vending machine will doll out presumably overpriced flash memory to travelers in need. Reportedly, New Jersey-based MyMemory will be operating the machines, and of course, they will all be open 24/7 for your late night (and mid-day) flash storage requirements. Interestingly, the UK units will supposedly utilize the oft hacked Chip & PIN technology, which means the countdown to gobs of free memory (and a high-speed police chase) has officially begun.[Via EverythingUSB]
