Drones Near Newark Airport Halt Flights
All inbound and departing flights at Newark Liberty International Airport were temporarily suspended Tuesday evening after two drones were detected nearby.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop at the airport around 5 p.m. after two drones were sighted about 3,500’ (1,066 m) over Teterboro Airport, a small airport 17 miles (27 kilometers) north of Newark Liberty.
Takeoffs at Newark were halted and incoming aircraft were held either at their originating airports or in the air.
The ground stop was lifted by 5:45 p.m., at which time planes already in the air were permitted to land. Planes that had not yet departed for Newark, however, were delayed in order to clear the backlog.
On Christmas Eve, Heathrow Airport was temporarily shut down when a drone was spotted over a runway. Three days earlier, London Gatwick had fully reopened after three days of chaos caused by drones.
(Photo: Accura Media Group)