drones in UK News

British On-Demand Drone Insurer Flock Raises $17 Million in Funding

British drone insurer Flock has raised $17 million from investors in early-stage funding led by venture investor Chamath Palihapitiya’s Social Capital, Flock said on Thursday. Flock started out insuring commercial drones, and added car and van fleets last year. It …

UK to Extend No-Fly Zone for Drones Flying Near Airports

Britain will impose a 5 kilometer (3.1 mile) drone exclusion zone around its runways as the government responds to illegal incursions that closed London Gatwick airport for 36 hours in December, disrupting travel for more than 120,000 people. The measures, …

London’s Heathrow Briefly Halts Flights After Drone Sighting

The Heathrow airport was partially shut for more than an hour after drone sightings near runways raised safety concerns, the second time in a month a London airport had to suspend flights because of dangers from modern-day gadgets. Departures were …

London’s Gatwick Airport Reopens After Drones Cause 36 Hours of Travel Chaos

London’s Gatwick Airport reopened on Friday after a saboteur wrought 36 hours of travel chaos for over a hundred thousand Christmas travelers by using drones to play cat-and-mouse with police snipers and the army. After the biggest disruption at Gatwick, …

London’s Gatwick Airport Suspends Flights on Multiple Drone Sightings

London’s Gatwick airport is closed to aircraft following multiple sightings of illegal drones, disrupting flights for as many as 115,000 people on one of the busiest travel days of the year. Lines of passengers circled Gatwick’s two terminals Thursday and …

UK Insurtech Flock Launches Pay-As-You-Fly Drone Insurance

Flock, a London based startup, has launched Europe’s first “pay-as-you-fly” drone insurance solution. The “Flock Cover” smartphone app provides on-demand insurance for commercial drone pilots in the UK, with policies starting from just £5 ($7) for up to eight hours …