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Errant drone temporarily shuts down Dubai’s busy airport

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Authorities say an errant drone flying near Dubai International Airport forced the world’s busiest international airfield to close for nearly an hour and a half.

The airport posted on its Twitter account that it closed its airspace from 7:25 p.m. to 8:49 p.m. Saturday. It stressed that laws prohibit drone hobbyists from flying within 5 kilometres (3 miles) of the airport, which is the base of the long-haul carrier Emirates.

While Dubai has hosted drone racing, it faces a serious problem with hobby drones flying into the airport’s airspace. An incident in September shut the airport for a half hour, while another in June closed it for 69 minutes.

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

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