A "near miss" or too close to the mark? Balancing drone risk and regulation

On Sunday 17 April, British Airways flight 727 on approach to Heathrow was struck by what was reported to be a drone at about 1,700 feet. There has since been some doubt as to whether this was a drone, but its impact on the debate about drone regulation has been no less pronounced for various reasons.

Given the rapid increase in the volume of drones in use and an eight-fold rise in near-misses with other airspace uses, this CII Thinkpiece focuses on the risks presented by drones, regulatory developments and the types of drones available for leisure, commercial and military purposes.