Drone closes busy Dubai International Airport for an hour

Dubai, Jun 12: The busy Dubai International Airport closed for over an hour after a drone flew into its airspace.

The airport says the closure disrupted flights for 69 minutes Saturday. The airport, the world's busiest for international travel, reopened at 12.45 pm.

This is not the first time a drone has disrupted flights into the airport, which is the base of the long-haul carrier Emirates.

Since February, drone owners have been required to register with the United Arab Emirates' General Civil Aviation Authority.

Authorities also ban hobbyists from putting cameras or lasers on their drones and flying in certain areas of Dubai, including airport airspace.

AP