Martin Docherty-Hughes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martin Docherty-Hughes on 2016-06-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with the Scottish Government on the issue of resilience in the event of a drone collision with a passenger airline in Scottish airspace.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Government hasn’t had any direct discussions with a Scottish Government on this issue. Commercial aircraft are already rigorously tested to withstand collisions with small objects, such as birds, but my Department and the Civil Aviation Authority are working with the aviation sector, including manufacturers, airports and airlines, to ensure our understanding of the potential hazards to aircraft remains up-to-date. This activity is also helping to provide real life evidence of drone risks and the options for preventing collisions.