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Departures at Heathrow were temporarily stopped after a drone was reported to have been sighted.

Flights from the west London airport resumed about an hour after police said a drone had been seen.

A Heathrow spokeswoman had said it was a "precautionary measure" to "prevent any threat to operational safety".

It comes after last month's disruption at Gatwick Airport which saw thousands of people stranded when drones were sighted.

The spokeswoman said Heathrow was working with Air Traffic Control and the Metropolitan Police following the incident.

"We continue to monitor this situation and apologise to any passengers that were affected by this disruption," she said.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption British Airways aircraft were among those sitting on the tarmac waiting to depart

The Metropolitan Police said they received reports of a drone sighting near Heathrow at about 17:05 GMT.

Before the confirmation that flights had resumed, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said he was in contact with the airport about the drone sighting, and had spoken to the home secretary and defence secretary.

BBC cameraman Martin Roberts said he was driving on the M25 past Heathrow airport at about 17:45 GMT when he saw what he believes was a drone.

"I could see, I'd say around 300 feet up, very bright, stationary flashing red and green lights, over the Harmondsworth area," he said.

"I could tell it was a drone - these things have got quite distinctive lights - not a helicopter.

"The lights were very close together. It was a very clear night and the object was stationary, it was turning very, very slightly. I could see it very clearly, I'd say for about four to five minutes."

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'Business as usual' at Heathrow

by Alice Evans, BBC London

A couple of hours after the first reports of a drone in the skies above Heathrow, it was business as usual in the Terminal 5 departure lounge - in a low blow to Gatwick, one member of staff told me it's because "we're a good airport".

Although flights were up and running again pretty quickly, there are still plenty of passengers who have faced disruption tonight.

One of those is Catriona Walsh, who was on a flight from Basel.

Ms Walsh, who was doing a couple of days of work despite being on maternity leave, said she won't get to her final stop in Wales for another couple of hours now that she has missed her train.

Her flight was held on the runway for about 50 minutes as staff told passengers about the drone.

"It was all calm - frustrating rather than worrying," she said.

Michael, a fellow passenger on the flight who did not want to provide his surname, was less optimistic.

"I was worried I might have to camp here," he said.

He said the problems here and at Gatwick have shown "exactly how to shut a country - this country - down", adding that police need to "just shoot drones down" as soon as they are sighted.

Passengers stuck at Heathrow expressed their frustration at having to wait to depart while the airport responded to the sighting.

Jack Whittle, whose flight to Manchester was grounded, said the aircraft was "freezing" and "babies were screaming everywhere".

"Elderly people are getting blankets, but nobody else," he told BBC News at the time.

Travel expert Simon Calder said the temporary halting of departures would have a knock-on effect.

"They will now be able to start getting away, but all that time you have had arrivals coming in and gates not being available because departing planes haven't gone. It's going to be messy for the rest of the evening," he told the BBC.

Mr Calder said Heathrow had measures in place intended to prevent this kind of incident.

"Heathrow told me that they had actually provided equipment and personnel to help their big rival Gatwick out during the drone event," he said.

'Heightened awareness'

More than 140,000 passengers at Gatwick were affected during 36 hours of chaos between 19 and 21 December.

About 1,000 flights were cancelled there over three days due to the drone sightings.

Gatwick said last week that it had spent £5m to prevent future attacks. Heathrow also confirmed it would be buying systems to guard against drones.

And it was announced this week that police would be given new powers to tackle the illegal use of drones.

John Grant, industry advisor to air travel data specialists OAG, told the BBC it was "almost inevitable" after what happened at Gatwick that there would be "a heightened state of awareness and these types of incidents could possibly reoccur".</s>(LONDON) — London’s Heathrow Airport suspended flight departures as a precaution Tuesday after a reported drone sighting that came just three weeks after a rash of drone sightings shut London’s Gatwick Airport.

The suspension of takeoffs from Heathrow, one of the world’s busiest airports, was announced shortly before 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

London’s Metropolitan Police said it received a report about a drone “in the vicinity of Heathrow airport” at about 5:05 p.m. Police say they are working with airport officials to investigate the sighting, which is still unconfirmed.

The report follows the pre-Christmas shutdown of London’s Gatwick Airport for parts of three consecutive days due to reported drone sightings. The Gatwick closure led to more than 100,000 people being stranded or delayed, the worst-ever drone-related disruption at an international airport.

The person or persons responsible for the drones that shut down Gatwick have not been located and no group has claimed responsibility.

British officials used sophisticated military gear to get Gatwick back in operation, and aviation authorities said that equipment could be deployed at other British airports to deter drone intrusions. It was not clear if it had been put in place yet at Heathrow.

Heathrow served 78 million passengers in 2017, with 81 airlines flying to 204 destinations in 85 countries around the world. Its most popular destination is New York.</s>London's Heathrow Airport halted departures Tuesday after a report of a drone sighting, less than a month after a similar event crippled operations at a major U.K. airport.

"We are currently responding to a drone sighting at Heathrow and are working closely with the Met Police to prevent any threat to operational safety," a spokesperson for the airport said. "As a precautionary measure, we have stopped departures while we investigate. We apologise to passengers for any inconvenience this may cause."

The incident shows how quickly even a report of a sighted drone can disrupt air travel. Officials are struggling with how to keep drones away from aircraft as the devices become more popular with consumers and businesses.

The suspension of departures at Heathrow comes than a month after reports of drone sightings halted air travel at London Gatwick Airport, stranding thousands of travelers during a peak holiday travel period.

Heathrow is Europe's busiest airport and serves an average of more than 213,000 passengers a day.

London's Metropolitan Police said it received reports of a drone sighting "in the vicinity of Heathrow airport" shortly after 5 p.m. local time.</s>Flights from London's Heathrow airport were halted for about an hour on Tuesday after a drone was sighted near Europe's busiest air hub, raising fears that the chaos that affected rival Gatwick last month could be repeated on an even larger scale.

"We are responding to a drone sighting at Heathrow," the airport said. "As a precautionary measure, we have stopped departures while we investigate. We apologise to passengers for any inconvenience this may cause."

London's Metropolitan Police said they had received reports of a drone near the airport at about 1705 GMT on Tuesday, which they were investigating with airport authorities.

It said police officers were among those who reported seeing a drone and it had launched a full criminal investigation.

The airport confirmed about an hour later that take-offs had resumed. Flight tracker websites showed flights departing from 1811 GMT.

A Reuters witness in a plane on the runway at Heathrow said multiple aircraft were waiting for permission to take off before being later told that things were starting to move.

London's second busiest airport, Gatwick, was severely disrupted when drones were sighted on three consecutive days in December, resulting in about 1,000 flights being cancelled or diverted and affecting 140,000 passengers.

Gatwick's drone nightmare - the most disruptive yet at a major airport - exposed a new vulnerability that will be scrutinised by security forces, airlines and airport operators across the world.

The British army was forced to deploy military technology to guard the area around Gatwick, reassuring the airport that it was safe enough to fly.

Police said they were carrying out extensive searches around the Heathrow area to identify any people who may be responsible for the operation of the drone.

"We are deploying significant resources - both in terms of officers and equipment - to monitor the airspace around Heathrow and to quickly detect and disrupt any illegal drone activity; some of which are as a result of learning from the incidents at Gatwick," police commander Stuart Cundy said in a statement.

He said military assistance has been implemented after the sighting but he would not give any further details as it could undermine the effectiveness of the measures.

British Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said he had been in contact with Heathrow Airport concerning the drone sighting.

"I have already spoken to both the Home Secretary and Defence Secretary and the military are preparing to deploy the equipment used at Gatwick at Heathrow quickly should it prove necessary," he said.

Both airports responded to the Gatwick incident by ordering military-grade anti-drone technology.

Heathrow said it was working closely with authorities including the police and looking at relevant technology to combat the threat of drones.

The airport handled 78 million passengers in 2017 and is the main hub for British Airways. Its busiest routes in terms of passenger numbers are to Dubai and New York-JFK.</s>LONDON (Reuters) - Flights from London’s Heathrow airport were halted for about an hour on Tuesday after reports of a drone sighting near Europe’s busiest air hub, raising fears that the chaos that affected rival Gatwick last month could be repeated on an even larger scale.

“We are responding to a drone sighting at Heathrow,” the airport said. “As a precautionary measure, we have stopped departures while we investigate. We apologize to passengers for any inconvenience this may cause.”

London’s Metropolitan Police said they had received reports of a drone near the airport at about 1705 GMT on Tuesday, which they were investigating with airport authorities.

The airport confirmed about an hour later that take-offs had resumed. Flight tracker websites showed flights departing from 1811 GMT.

A Reuters witness in a plane on the runway at Heathrow said multiple aircraft were waiting for permission to take off before being later told that things were starting to move .

London’s second busiest airport, Gatwick, was severely disrupted when drones were sighted on three consecutive days in December, resulting in about 1,000 flights being canceled or diverting and affecting 140,000 passengers.

Gatwick’s drone nightmare - the most disruptive yet at a major airport - exposed a new vulnerability that will be scrutinized by security forces, airlines and airport operators across the world.

The British army was forced to deploy military technology to guard the area around Gatwick, reassuring the airport that it was safe enough to fly.

British Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said on Tuesday the military was preparing to deploy the same equipment at Heathrow.

“We are in contact with Heathrow Airport concerning the drone sighting,” he said.

“I have already spoken to both the Home Secretary and Defense Secretary and the military are preparing to deploy the equipment used at Gatwick at Heathrow quickly should it prove necessary.”

Both airports responded to the Gatwick incident by ordering military-grade anti-drone technology.

Heathrow said it was working closely with authorities including the police and looking at relevant technology to combat the threat of drones.

The airport handled 78 million passengers in 2017 and is the main hub for British Airways (ICAG.L). Its busiest routes in terms of passengers numbers are to Dubai and New York-JFK.</s>LONDON (AP) — The Latest on a reported drone sighting at London's Heathrow Airport (all times local):

Officials at London's Heathrow Airport say flights are being allowed to take off again after departures were suspended due to a reported drone sighting.

The announcement came roughly 90 minutes after London's Metropolitan Police received a report about a drone sighting in the vicinity of Heathrow Airport on Tuesday.

Officials did not provide details about the suspension but said more information should be forthcoming.

Heathrow said in a statement: "Based on standard operating procedures, working with Air Traffic Control and the Met Police, we have resumed departures out of Heathrow following a short suspension."

Police have not said whether the investigation confirmed a drone a drone actually flew near the airport.

The Metropolitan Police is investigating reports about the sighting of a drone near London's Heathrow Airport.

The force said "officers based at Heathrow are currently investigating the reports with colleagues from (the) airport."

It added it first received the reports at about 5:05 p.m. Tuesday.

Heathrow officials said shortly before 6 p.m. Tuesday that flight departures have been suspended as a precaution.

London's Heathrow Airport says flight departures have been suspended as a precaution after a reported drone sighting.

The suspension of takeoffs from Britain's busiest airport was announced shortly before 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

Airport officials say they are working closely with police to clarify the situation.

The report follows the pre-Christmas shutdown of London's Gatwick Airport for parts of three consecutive days due to reported drone sightings.

The Gatwick closure led to more than 100,000 people being stranded or delayed, the worst ever drone-related disruption at an international airport.</s>London's Heathrow Airport says departing flights have resumed after a drone report caused a temporary halt to takeoffs

LONDON (AP) — London's Heathrow Airport says departing flights have resumed after a drone report caused a temporary halt to takeoffs.</s>London's Heathrow Airport briefly halted departing flights on Tuesday after a reported drone sighting — a development that came just three weeks after multiple reports of drone sightings caused travel chaos at nearby Gatwick Airport.

The suspension of takeoffs from Heathrow, one of the world's busiest airports, was announced shortly before 6 p.m. on Tuesday, a move the airport said was made as a safety precaution.

London's Metropolitan Police said it received a report about a drone "in the vicinity of Heathrow airport" at about 5:05 p.m. Police and airport officials were investigating the reported sighting. Flights resumed roughly 90 minutes later.

Police Commander Stuart Cundy said police officers were among those who had seen the drone.

"A full criminal investigation has been launched," he said. "We are carrying out extensive searches around the Heathrow area to identify any people who may be responsible for the operation of the drone."

He said "military assistance" has been added since the sighting to toughen the airport's anti-drone stance and that extra police officers and equipment had been added at Heathrow.

The airport said that "based on standard operating procedures, working with Air Traffic Control and the Met Police, we have resumed departures out of Heathrow following a short suspension."

The temporary departure shutdown at Heathrow follows the pre-Christmas shutdown of London's Gatwick Airport for parts of three consecutive days due to dozens of reported drone sightings. The Gatwick closure stranded or delayed more than 100,000 travellers — the worst-ever drone-related disruption at an international airport.

The person or persons responsible for the Gatwick drones have not been located and no group has claimed responsibility.

British officials used sophisticated military gear to get Gatwick back in operation, and aviation authorities said that equipment could be deployed at other British airports to deter drone intrusions.</s>The shutdown at Heathrow follows the pre-Christmas shutdown of London’s Gatwick Airport

London’s Heathrow Airport briefly halted departing flights on Tuesday after a reported drone sighting — a development that came just three weeks after multiple reports of drone sightings caused travel chaos at nearby Gatwick Airport.

The suspension of takeoffs from Heathrow, one of the world’s busiest airports, was announced shortly before 6 p.m. on Tuesday, a move the airport said was made as a safety precaution.

London’s Metropolitan Police said it received a report about a drone “in the vicinity of Heathrow airport” at about 5:05 p.m. Police and airport officials were investigating the reported sighting, which was not confirmed.

The airport said that “based on standard operating procedures, working with Air Traffic Control and the Met Police, we have resumed departures out of Heathrow following a short suspension.”

The temporary departure shutdown at Heathrow follows the pre-Christmas shutdown of London’s Gatwick Airport for parts of three consecutive days due to dozens of reported drone sightings. The Gatwick closure stranded or delayed more than 100,000 travellers — the worst-ever drone-related disruption at an international airport.

The person or persons responsible for the Gatwick drones have not been located and no group has claimed responsibility.

British officials used sophisticated military gear to get Gatwick back in operation, and aviation authorities said that equipment could be deployed at other British airports to deter drone intrusions.

A statement by British Transport Secretary Chris Grayling indicated that anti-drone equipment had not yet been put in place at Heathrow.

“I have already spoken to both the Home Secretary and Defence Secretary and the military are preparing to deploy the equipment used at Gatwick at Heathrow quickly, should it prove necessary,” he said.

RELATED: Gatwick flights operating after 2 arrested for using drone

Heathrow Airport is a crossroads for the world, serving 78 million passengers in 2017. It hosts 81 airlines that fly to 204 destinations in 85 countries, and its most popular destination is New York.</s>Officials at London's Heathrow Airport said flights are being allowed to take off again after departures were suspended due to a reported drone sighting.

The announcement came roughly 90 minutes after London's Metropolitan Police received a report about a drone sighting in the vicinity of Heathrow Airport on Tuesday.

Officials did not provide details about the suspension but said more information should be forthcoming.

Heathrow said in a statement: "Based on standard operating procedures, working with Air Traffic Control and the Met Police, we have resumed departures out of Heathrow following a short suspension."

Police have not said whether the investigation confirmed a drone a drone actually flew near the airport.

The report follows the pre-Christmas shutdown of London’s Gatwick Airport for parts of three consecutive days due to reported drone sightings.

The Gatwick closure led to more than 100 000 people being stranded or delayed, the worst-ever drone-related disruption at an international airport.



The person or persons responsible for the drones that shut down Gatwick have not been located and no group has claimed responsibility.



British officials used sophisticated military gear to get Gatwick back in operation, and aviation authorities said that equipment could be deployed at other British airports to deter drone intrusions. It was not clear if it had been put in place yet at Heathrow.



Heathrow served 78 million passengers in 2017, with 81 airlines flying to 204 destinations in 85 countries around the world. Its most popular destination is New York.
Flights from London's Heathrow Airport are temporarily suspended after a report of a drone sighting in the area.