Heathrow to remain open tomorrow despite threatened drone protest
Heathrow says it’s working closing with the authorities to ensure the airport stays open tomorrow despite protestors threatening to using drones to disrupt its operations.
In a statement on its website, Heathrow said: "We’d like to reassure passengers that we will be using our drone mitigation and detection systems, dynamic situation assessments and our partnership with authorities, to minimise any intended disruption and keep you safe.
"Safety is always our number one priority."
The Metropolitan Police said it has a ‘robust’ plan in place to deal with the protestors ‘quickly and efficiently’ after studying last year’s drone disruption at Gatwick. A range of counter-drone measures are available to officers who will be covering the airport and the surrounding areas, it said.
Deputy police commissioner Laurence Taylor added: "We are going to do everything we can to prevent disruption and I’m confident we will be successful in that."
Police have also condemned the planned action by Extinction Rebellion splinter group Heathrow Pause as a ‘deliberate and criminal attack’ on UK infrastructure.
Heathrow Pause wants to prevent the expansion of Heathrow due to climate change concerns.
In its statement, Heathrow said: "We agree with the need to act on climate change but it is through constructive engagement and action that real progress will be made. Attempting to disrupt hard-working passengers and families taking flights, will not solve the issue."
Scotland Yard has threatened to arrest activists if they fly drones near the airport without permission tomorrow.
Heathrow Pause admitted they plan to break the law, but said they are ‘utterly committed to the principles of non-violence, transparency and accountability and to cooperating with the police as far as is possible’.
A spokesperson told Metro.co.uk: "We appreciate the police have a job to do – it’s their job to arrest us and we have no problem with them doing that.
"Their families are under threat [from climate change] along with everybody else’s. We’re all in this together."
Heathrow Pause activists, including Roger Hallam, one of the co-founders of Extinction Rebellion, claim to have met with police this week. Hallam said: "I’ll be flying a drone at head height, some distance from Heathrow. It’ll be 100 per cent safe and 100 percent illegal."
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Taylor today said the group had not told police which areas they would target. He added: "As a result we’ve had to put a significant policing plan in place that drains resources from across the Metropolitan Police.
"We shouldn’t be having to put significant numbers to deal with unlawful activity when the protest could be done in a different way."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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