DRONES DISRUPT JERSEY AIRPORT FLIGHTS FOR SECOND NIGHT

Drones near Jersey Airport disrupted flights for a second consecutive night on Saturday, with four inbound flights unable to land as scheduled, the airport said. Jersey Airport cancelled services from Southampton, Gatwick and Heathrow and diverted an incoming Madeira flight to Paris. Jersey Airport said airlines were arranging alternative travel for passengers "as quickly as possible". The disruption followed a similar incident on Friday, when drones near the airport affected at least three flights. Chief Minister Senator Lyndon Farnham called the activity "deliberate and unlawful" and said it had "caused significant disruption to passengers, airlines and airport operations."

States of Jersey Police said a multi-agency response followed reports of drones near the airport on Friday evening, and officers searched the west of the island. They said officers had not found the operator and appealed for information, urging anyone who sees a drone to call 999. One diverted flight on Friday eventually landed safely at around 11.45pm. Myles Landick, director of Jersey Rugby Club, was aboard the Gatwick-bound flight cancelled on Saturday and said the captain announced drone activity over the tannoy. He said the drones "did disappear for a short period of time, but they reappeared," and the aircraft returned to a stand at Gatwick.

Farnham thanked Ports of Jersey, the police, Air Traffic Control and emergency services for their "swift and professional response to an extremely challenging situation." He said the government and its partners were "treating these incidents with the utmost seriousness." Jersey Airport said its first priority remained passenger, crew and public safety. Landick said airlines planned larger aircraft for Sunday, but his flight would not run, and he urged passengers to check for updated availability.