Drone causes flight delays and cancellations at Fuerteventura Airport
Flights to and from Fuerteventura Airport were suspended yesterday morning (Sunday) after a drone was spotted flying close to the runway, forcing several aircraft to be diverted to airports in other Islands.
The drone was detected south of the El Matorral airport, prompting an immediate halt to arrivals and departures for safety reasons. The disruption caused delays, cancellations, and diversions, with nearby Lanzarote reporting knock-on delays.
One affected flight was a Ryanair service from Santiago de Compostela, which circled in holding patterns before being diverted to Lanzarote. Passengers expressed frustration, saying they were unsure if they would be transferred back to Fuerteventura later in the day.
Several inter-island flights were also impacted. An aircraft from Gran Canaria was placed in a holding pattern, while at least two others diverted to Las Palmas after unsuccessful approaches to Fuerteventura.
Airport information screens quickly began displaying cancellations, leaving waiting passengers disgruntled.
The Guard Civil was alerted and has taken charge of the investigation. At present, it is not known who was operating the drone.
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