Aer Lingus Pilot Reports Red Drone 20 Metres from Aircraft at 3,200 Feet Over Dublin Bay
Why It MattersRepeated drone sightings near approach paths at a major airport underscore ongoing risks to commercial descent operations from unauthorised low-altitude drone activity.
An Aer Lingus pilot reported seeing a suspected red drone flying approximately 20 metres off the aircraft's port side while descending at 3,200 feet over Dublin Bay, near Howth, just after 6:15 pm. The pilot radioed Dublin Air Traffic Control, saying: "We think we just passed a drone in our present position, 3,200 feet, red in colour," later confirming the object was "just about 20 metres off our portside."
AirNav Ireland, the body responsible for air traffic control in Irish airspace, said it reported the sighting to the Garda Síochána and other authorities for assessment and investigation, describing this as standard procedure. A Garda investigation is under way, and Aer Lingus said it is aware of the sighting.
Following the alert, air traffic control warned other aircraft on the same approach track. One subsequent aircraft reported seeing nothing, and four aircraft in total later flew the same route without reporting issues, while one aircraft opted to take an alternative approach route offered to it.
This was the second drone sighting reported by a pilot approaching Dublin in less than a fortnight, though it is understood to have raised less concern than the previous report. Aviation sources said that if the object was a drone, its proximity to the aircraft would pose a significant safety risk, and that at that altitude, a recreational operator would have been flying well above permitted limits.
