Jersey Airport faced a second consecutive evening of disruption on Saturday, 31 October, after reports of further drone activity near the airfield. Four inbound flights could not land as scheduled, including a charter from Madeira diverted to Paris Charles de Gaulle. Services from Heathrow, Gatwick and Southampton were also disrupted or cancelled, affecting passengers travelling to and from the island.
The incidents followed reports of drones on Friday evening, when three inbound aircraft were initially diverted. Police received the first report at about 20:20, with further reports continuing until around 22:30; one aircraft later landed in Jersey. States of Jersey Police is investigating, and no operators had been identified in the reports available on Sunday.
After reviewing the response with operational partners, Jersey’s Government said it was preparing measures to reduce the risk of further disruption and limit passenger impacts. Medical passengers affected over the two evenings were being prioritised as services allowed. Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham said authorities were working with UK agencies and specialist organisations to explore additional operational support, improved detection capability and counter-drone technology; whether those measures will be adopted has not been confirmed.
easyJet offered affected passengers rebooking or refunds, as well as hotel accommodation and meals where needed, after its Gatwick return service could not operate. Jersey RFC passengers were also caught up in the disruption, with the club’s coach telling ITV that some players might not return until Tuesday.