Jersey Airport suffered a second night of drone disruption on Saturday evening, with four inbound flights unable to land as scheduled. The airport said the disruption was caused by what it called illegal and persistent drone activity around the airfield, and that airlines were making alternative travel arrangements directly with passengers.
Flights from Heathrow and Southampton were cancelled on Saturday evening. The airport had first warned at 20:05 that it was experiencing disruption to inbound flights as a result of further drone activity in the vicinity of the airfield, before confirming later in the evening that four flights had not been able to land as scheduled.
The incident followed a similar disruption on Friday evening. States of Jersey Police said the first report was received at around 20:20 on Friday, with reported drone activity continuing until about 22:30. A multi-agency response searched several areas in the west of the island, but no drone operator has yet been identified. Three inbound aircraft were initially diverted on Friday, from Gatwick, Heathrow and Southampton, and one of the three was eventually able to land safely in Jersey at around 23:45.
Police believe two or three drones entered the airport’s restricted airspace, and the activity is not thought to be linked to terrorism. Officers have appealed for anyone with information, including anyone who witnessed drones landing or taking off on Saturday evening, to come forward.
Jersey’s chief minister, Senator Lyndon Farnham, condemned what he called the deliberate and unlawful operation of drones in the vicinity of the airport over the past two evenings, saying it had caused significant disruption to passengers, airlines and airport operations. He thanked Ports of Jersey, States of Jersey Police, air traffic control and the emergency services for their swift and professional response, and said safety of the travelling public and aircrew remained the first priority.
Farnham said the government and its operational partners were treating the incidents with the utmost seriousness and were working closely with UK authorities and specialist agencies to explore additional operational support, enhanced detection capability and counter-drone technology. He warned those responsible that operating a drone close to an airport was not a prank or a harmless hobby, and that anyone identified should expect to face the full consequences of the law.
The airport asked passengers hoping to travel on Sunday morning to check with their airlines for flight updates, and reassured the public that the airport remains safe. For an island that depends on air links, two nights of disruption in a row raise an obvious question: how the operators evaded detection twice, and what new measures will stop a third night.
Sources: BBC News, “Second night of drone disruption at Jersey Airport” (1 November 2026); Sky News reporting, “Flights disrupted after illegal and persistent drone activity near airport” (1 November 2026), https://greatyorkshireradio.co.uk/uk/flights-disrupted-after-illegal-and-persistent-drone-activity-near-airport/ ; States of Jersey Police and Jersey Airport statements, as reported.
