Drones launched near airports are posing an increasing threat to civil aircraft, the Associated Press reported, analyzing its flight safety database.
According to the agency, last year unmanned aerial vehicles were responsible for two-thirds of dangerous approaches to passenger planes at the 30 busiest airports in the country, which is a record for this indicator since 2020.
The first such incident was recorded in 2014 and since then the number has continued to grow. Over the past 10 years, drones have been involved in more than half of the close encounters - 122 out of 240 reported situations.
It is noted that the growth is associated with the active use of drones and radio-controlled aircraft among US residents. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) estimates that Americans have purchased more than a million drones that they use for recreational and commercial purposes.
The FAA is trying to take steps to more closely monitor airspace. It is currently prohibited to fly drones near airports without prior approval, but such launches are difficult to track. The use of special systems that will jam drones is also being tested.