Birmingham Airport passengers could face travel delays – and bigger costs – if plans to launch military drones from a nearby base go ahead. The Royal Air Force has revealed plans to launch US-made drones from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire several times per week.
RQ-4 Global Hawk surveillance drones, launched from the site, would sever a flight path used by BHX, airport bosses warned. They said it could disrupt ‘thousands of passengers’ and mean longer flights.
Letters from concerned airport managers, seen by The Telegraph, outlined how blocking the flight path could delay flights for up to 20 minutes. Ryanair said the plans could delay up to 2,800 passengers.
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Jet2 also voiced concerns about its own flights. The budget airline said its journeys from Portugal, Spain and the Canary Islands could face similar 20-minute delays as planes fly an additional 145 miles.
It warned it could prove costly for customers who may have to help foot the bill for the hundreds of pounds incurred by the new flight path. And it was argued that being in the air for longer would waste up to nine tonnes of fuel – causing 34 tonnes of extra CO2 emissions.
A BHX spokesperson told BirminghamLive today, January 13, that the airport was continuing discussions with relevant parties on the issue. It said it remained “hopeful of a mutually acceptable solution”.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence told The Telegraph: “No final decisions have been taken and we are working to minimise any potential impact to other airspace users.”