How drone activity could affect US holiday travel plans

(The Hill) — With more than 40 million Americans expected to travel by air over the upcoming holidays, mysterious drone sightings reported around the U.S. in recent weeks are raising anxiety levels over whether drone activity could affect people’s ability to reach their desired destinations.

Drone sightings in New York closed the runways at Stewart International Airport for about an hour last week. The airport said the closures did not affect any flight traffic. However, it prompted New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) to say that the drone sightings have "gone too far."

Sightings have also been reported around several military installations around the country, which has added to concerns among lawmakers and local residents.

This week, The Department of Homeland Security, FBI, Department of Defense and Federal Aviation Administration issued a joint statement about drones after complaints about a lack of government transparency.

The federal agencies said thousands of lawful drones are operated by hobbyists, law enforcement and commercial operators each day. The agencies say there are more than 1 million legally registered drones in the U.S. The statement concluded that other explanations for the sightings included people misidentifying objects such as helicopters and stars.

As of this week, the FBI said it has received more than 5,000 tips about drone sightings in recent weeks. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said this week that there is no public safety threat over the drones.

However, as more Americans prepare to take to the skies for holiday travel, the FAA is warning drone operators to adhere to federal airspace guidelines, which prevent drones from flying below 400 feet at all times. The FAA defines controlled airspace as that which is found around some airports and at certain altitudes where air traffic controllers are actively communicating with, directing and separating all air traffic.

NBC News reported in 2023, 42 million drone fights were reported, all of which were flying under 400 feet and below the 45,000 daily plane flights.

In addition to the airport closure in New York, drone sightings have been reported around airports in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Jersey, according to Fox News. Brett Velicovich, the CEO of Expert Drones, said the sightings leave airport officials little choice in how to respond.

Two Massachusetts men were recently arrested and charged in what Boston Police characterized as a “hazardous drone operation” near Logan Airport’s airspace, police said. The men face trespassing charges after the drones were reported flying “dangerously close” to the airport.

He said the drone sightings are affecting the economy by causing flight delays.

“The airports can’t do anything else but shut down traffic even if there is just a reported sighting,” Velicovich told the network. "Out of precautions for safety (airports) have to, and that’s the issue is (drone operators) can’t be tracked easily and can quickly shut down traffic and cause mass disruptions."