Drone disrupts flights from Dubai

Suspected drone activity briefly disrupted flight departures Friday from Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest for international traffic, the airport said.

It said in a statement that departures were suspended between 10:13 (0613 GMT) and 10:45 am (0645 GMT) "due to suspected drone activity".

"Dubai Airports has worked closely with the appropriate authorities to ensure that the safety of airport operations is maintained at all times and to minimise any inconvenience to our customers," it said.

Dubai International Airport said it retained its top global spot in 2018 after serving the largest number of passengers for the fifth year in a row.

Drones have caused a growing number of flight disruptions. In December, London's Gatwick Airport was paralysed for 36 hours after a drone sighting.

In 2016, Dubai International Airport closed three times because of drones being used for leisure nearby. The delayed and rerouted flights cost millions of dollars.

© 2019 AFP