Security scare at Noida airport: Drones spotted in no-fly zone for 3 nights; FIR filed

NOIDA: An FIR has been registered after drones were spotted flying near the Noida International Airport, a designated no-fly zone, triggering security concerns.

In a complaint filed on Feb 15 with the Jewar police, Krishna Kant Pandey, a security officer at the airport, said drones had been seen flying late at night within the airport boundary for the past two to three days.


According to the complaint, the drones appeared to enter the premises from the Ranera-Kureb village side via Jhajhar Road and returned along the same route after some time.

The complaint said the airport area has been declared a ‘red zone' under central government norms, where drone activity is strictly prohibited. Unauthorised flights, it noted, could pose a serious threat to airport security and urged police to identify those responsible and initiate legal action.

Based on the complaint, police registered an FIR under BNS sections 223 (disobedience to an order promulgated by a public servant), 289 (negligent conduct with respect to machinery) and 125 (act endangering life or personal safety of others).

However, a senior police official later told TOI that the situation was more complex. He said initial inputs suggested a misunderstanding, as the National Investigation Agency had been operating drones as part of its official activities, without intimating the CISF deployed at the airport.

"There have been occasions when local villagers flying drones during weddings or private functions inadvertently appear to be operating close to the airport boundary," he said, adding that from a distance, such drones can seem to breach restricted airspace. Citing overlapping factors, the FIR was registered as a precautionary measure, the officer said.