Dublin Airport drones: Why are flights delayed, what…

Dublin Airport drones: Why are flights delayed, what is the danger and am I entitled to cash back?

Flights to and from Dublin Airport were suspended for a third evening on Monday after a drone was spotted once again on the airfield.

Ryanair is continuing to call on the Department of Transport to take action against illegal drone activity to avoid future disruptions.

Meanwhile, the Dublin Airport Authority has branded those flying drones in and around the airport as "irresponsible" and "reckless."

It is understood that at around 7pm last night, operations were brought to a standstill after a drone was spotted in close proximity to the airfield.

The same thing happened on both Friday and Saturday, with arrivals and departures grounded for a period of time, affecting thousands of passengers.

Across the days of disruption, a number of flights were unable to land and were forced to divert to Belfast and Shannon. Other flights out of Dublin Airport were delayed or cancelled as a result.

According to ACI Insights, "In an airport setting, drones are a significant hazard. When a drone is sucked into a jet engine, for instance, the metal or plastic device with high-capacity batteries has the potential to cause far more damage than that created by a bird strike.

"A drone coming into contact with a fast-moving plane can damage the body of the plane or the windshield.

"Today, airports shut down flights when a drone is sighted for precisely these reasons – like the well-publicised Gatwick Airport shutdown in December Christmas 2018.

Drones are causing chaos again at Dublin Airport - why are flights delayed, what is the danger and am i entitled to cash back? (Getty Images)

"The Gatwick incident was reported to affect 140,000 passengers with 1,000 flights diverted or cancelled and reported cost of GBP$50-$75 million to the airport and airlines."

Similarly, passengers affected by the latest issues at Dublin Airport will be entitled to compensation from the airline they booked with depending on a number of factors.

Under the EU Passenger Rights Regulation, passengers are entitled to compensation in the following cases:

Delays: Your flight must have arrived at its destination three or more than three hours late
Cancellations: If you have been informed of cancellation less than 14 days before departure
Overbooking: The airline overbooked your flight and you will not find a seat on board, which is equivalent to denied boarding
Missed connecting flight: If the final destination is reached three or more than three hours later due to a missed connecting flight. This also applies if the connecting flight was operated by another airline as long as your ticket is valid for both legs of the flight

Depending on the circumstances, and subject to certain conditions, it may result in passengers claiming compensation of between €250 and €600 per person.

The law also offers the right to request a seat on another flight or to withdraw from the scheduled flight if it is cancelled or delayed by more than five hours.

The EU Regulation does not apply to:

Passengers travelling on a free or reduced fare that is not available to the public either directly or indirectly
Air passengers who did not check in on time. Unless notified otherwise, passengers should check in at least 45 minutes before departure (unless their flight has been cancelled)