On Monday, June 29, the pilot aboard JetBlue Flight 948 from Las Vegas (LAS) was on the final approach to the airline’s hub at New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). During the descent at approximately 3,000 feet and around 7:15 a.m. local time, the pilot reported that “we collided with a drone, back there in the turn…it hit us right, right above the cockpit.”
Mystery
At the time of the reported strike, the aircraft was roughly 10 to 12 miles away from JFK and just north of New Jersey borough Sea Bright, according to data from Flightradar24. The Airbus A321 aircraft landed safely minutes later at 7:21 a.m. and was subsequently inspected by JetBlue who later confirmed there was “no damage or evidence of a collision.” The aircraft was then cleared to continue its scheduled flights and the FAA is investigating if there is any corresponding evidence of drone activity.
Over the past eight years, Travel Radar has reported on many similar incidents, with drone sightings causing worldwide airport chaos in Zurich, Nevada, Stansted, Frankfurt, Copenhagen, Munich, Majorca and Brussels. In many cases, airports had to be closed for safety reasons resulting in major disruptions, but thankfully reported near-misses did not result in any injuries.
Restricted airspace
In January 2025, a Canadian ‘Super Scooper’ CL-415 plane which was assisting with tackling the Los Angeles wildfires was grounded after a collision with a civilian drone. It caused significant wing damage but there were no on-board injuries. At the time, the FAA said that unauthorised drones flying near aerial firefighting not only slows the fire response but can cost lives.
It is understandably a criminal offence to endanger the safety of an aircraft and offenders could face fines and criminal charges including custodial sentences. However, it is not just around airports that drone flight activity is limited. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced on Monday that it has seized 500 drones that were flying in restricted airspace above 11 host cities for the current FIFA World Cup. Brighton & Hove City Council recently announced a public consultation on banning drones from taking off and landing in all parks across the city under a new public space protection order (PSPO).
Do you think the public should be allowed to fly drones? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
