Major UK airport could face delay chaos from military drones flying from nearby RAF base

Birmingham: So, there’s some serious buzz about potential delays at Birmingham Airport. Apparently, the RAF is planning to launch military drones from a nearby base, and it could really mess things up for travelers.

The RAF Fairford base in Gloucestershire is set to start flying these US-made RQ-4 Global Hawk drones a couple of times a week. But here’s the kicker: they need to block a flight path that’s super important for Birmingham Airport. Without it, flights could be rerouted, adding hundreds of miles to the journey.

This flight path is used by tons of airlines, and airport managers are pretty worried. They’ve reached out to the Civil Aviation Authority to express their concerns. If this goes through, it could mean delays of up to 20 minutes for flights, which is a big deal when you’re trying to catch a plane.

Ryanair is also in the mix, saying that up to 2,800 passengers could be affected. And it’s not just about time; rerouting could waste a lot of fuel and increase CO2 emissions. Jet2 is worried too, especially for flights coming from places like Spain and the Canary Islands, which could also face delays.

On top of that, customers might end up paying more because of the extra costs involved with these new flight paths. Both Birmingham Airport and the Ministry of Defence are in talks to find a solution that works for everyone, but it’s still up in the air.

A spokesperson from the airport mentioned they’re hopeful for a good outcome. Meanwhile, the MoD is saying no final decisions have been made yet. It’s a bit of a waiting game right now.

Interestingly, there have been some drone sightings over US bases in the UK recently, which has raised eyebrows. Some folks think these could be linked to Russian operations, adding another layer of intrigue to the whole situation.