A PASSENGER flight bound for London’s Gatwick Airport was diverted to Bournemouth because of a drone flying close by.

British Airways confirmed one of its planes had gone to Bournemouth on Sunday evening, while Gatwick said another flight had gone to Stansted.

Sussex Police are investigating the incident.

The National Police Air Service helicopter crew at Bournemouth tweeted a photograph of the BA plane.


A statement from Gatwick Airport said: "Due to reports of a drone observation in the vicinity of the airfield, runway operations at Gatwick were suspended between 1810 BST and 1819, and again from 1836 to 1841, resulting in a small number of go-arounds and diverts.

"Operations have resumed and the police continue to investigate."

One passenger, Niamh Slatter, from Sussex, told the BBC she was flying home from Valencia, Spain, when her flight was diverted to Bournemouth.

"The crew were brilliant and explained that we were being held due to a drone in the airspace at Gatwick but that they would tell us when they had more information,” she said.

"Our attempted landing at Gatwick was aborted quite late as the drone had been spotted again, so we were told that the flight was being diverted to Bournemouth airport.

"The crew aboard the plane have been brilliant, as have the staff at Bournemouth, on standby ready for us and other planes that would be landing."

An Easyjet flight was also spotted landing later that evening.