Bristol Airport in the UK has invested in a new drone management system to combat the threat of unauthorised drones at the West Country gateway. The airport has agreed a three-year contract with Telent and its technology partner Digital Global Systems (DGS) to install the latter’s CLEARSKY Drone Threat Management system.
Its implementation at Bristol Airport follows a successful three-month pilot project with Bristol Airport Authority, local police and other security agencies. According to Telent, the installation of this system means that security staff and local police will be able to accurately detect, identify and monitor unauthorised drone activity in and around the airport. It is also able to detect the location of the drone operator and track them within the flight restriction zone outside of the airport, effectively eliminating manpower-intensive searches over large areas of land looking for those responsible.
“Like all major airports, Bristol Airport is aware of the disruption that both unauthorised and malicious drone usage can cause,” said the airport’s security operations manager, Javid Haq. “As an airport relied upon by thousands of daily domestic and international passengers, it is impossible to understate the importance of ensuring that we implement a high-performing and accurate drone threat system.
“We are confident that the new system can provide the necessary protection thanks to the accurate information the sensor network provides and the integration of this system into our existing threat management protocols.” Paul Hicks, head of wireless at Telent, notes: “It provides an unprecedented level of detail and allows security staff and police to identify what level of threat they are dealing with so that they are well informed before taking appropriate action.”
