Gatwick drone pair released without charge

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A man and a woman arrested in connection with the drone disruption at Gatwick Airport have been released without charge on Sunday, according to local police.

Paul Gait, 47, and his 54-year-old wife Elaine Kirk were detained on Friday night on suspicion of flying a drone above Britain's second busiest airport.

Meanwhile, local media reported that a damaged drone had been found near the airport and it is being forensically examined.

The device was first spotted close to the runway on Wednesday night and flights were suspended for more than 36 hours.

Gait's boss said he was busy working when the incident happened and expressed belief that Gait would not have done this.

"He is a reliable family man who has been with me for 17 years and has never given me any problems at all," local media quoted him as saying.

A police car is parked outside a house after a drone was flown near Gatwick Airport, December 23, 2018. /VCG Photo

"Both people have fully co-operated with our inquiries and I am satisfied that they are no longer suspects in the drone incidents at Gatwick," Sussex Police Detective Chief Superintendent Jason Tingley said in a statement, adding that they are continuing to locate those who are responsible.

"We ask for the public's continued support by reporting anything suspicious, contacting us with any information in relation to the drone incidents at Gatwick."

The statement also said Gatwick Airport Limited has offered a 50,000-pound reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the criminal act that disrupted flights.

The drone caused a headache for travelers, many of whom slept on the airport floor as they searched for alternative routes to holidays and Christmas family gatherings.

Flights resumed on Friday but about 140,000 passengers have been affected.

Unmanned aerial vehicles have become a growing menace at airports across the world. In Britain, the number of near misses between private drones and aircraft more than tripled between 2015 and 2017, with 92 incidents recorded last year.

(With inputs from agencies)

London's Gatwick airport reopens after drone chaos

(Cover photo: Gatwick Airport, December 22, 2018. /VCG Photo)