Turkey plans to use eagles against drone threat to civil aviation

ISTANBUL - Doğan News Agency

The threat of drones to civil aviation traffic has been rising in Turkey and the country may use eagles in a bid to ease this threat, according to officials. 

“The main problem with drones was nobody knew who owned them. With a fresh international regulation, it has finally become a must for drones to be registered. At least we will know whose drones fly above us. The most effective method to ease this threat over civil aviation traffic is the use of eagles, which are quite good at catching drones. This method is now used in the Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. We are evaluating this idea to implement at our airports as well,” said the head of the General Directorate of State Airports Authority (DHMİ), Serdar Hüseyin Yıldırım, on March 12. 

Against this threat, industry group IATA called for regulations to be put in place before any serious accidents occur in February.  

As the use of drones expands from military to commercial and even recreational purposes, experts fear that these radio-controlled flying devices, if not regulated, could one day collide with a commercial aircraft with dire consequences. 

Meanwhile, Yıldırım also said the currently under construction third airport in Istanbul will not have a first-entrance-check point. 

“At the first entrance points of the terminal of the third airport, there will not be any x-ray or check points, but security measures within the terminal will be very high by means of the latest technological and other tools to enhance security,” he said.