Departures at Heathrow Airport were temporarily halted on Tuesday evening after a drone was reported sighted near the west London hub. Flights resumed about an hour later, following police confirmation of the incident.
A Heathrow spokeswoman described the suspension as a 'precautionary measure' to prevent any threat to operational safety. The airport is working with Air Traffic Control and the Metropolitan Police to monitor the situation.
The Metropolitan Police received reports of a drone sighting near Heathrow at approximately 17:05 GMT. BBC cameraman Martin Roberts reported seeing a drone with distinctive flashing red and green lights at around 300 feet over the Harmondsworth area.
Passengers faced disruption, with some flights held on runways. Catriona Walsh, on a flight from Basel, missed her train connection to Wales. Another passenger, Michael, expressed frustration, saying the incidents at Heathrow and Gatwick show 'exactly how to shut this country down'.
Travel expert Simon Calder warned of a knock-on effect, with arrivals delayed due to gates being occupied. He noted that Heathrow had previously provided equipment to help Gatwick during its drone disruption in December, which affected over 140,000 passengers and led to 1,000 flight cancellations.
Heathrow confirmed it is investing in anti-drone systems, following Gatwick's £5m spend on similar measures. The airport apologised to affected passengers.
