In order to increase security in the airspace, St.Gallen-Altenrhein Airport has worked out a cooperation with the Australian company DroneShield Ltd.

The number of drones in the airspace has grown enormously in recent years. These flying objects can pose a threat to general air traffic. Many airports are almost blind to this danger. They rely on binoculars to be able to recognize an impending danger from drones. Safety is a top priority for the management of St.Gallen-Altenrhein Airport. It has therefore decided to reduce this blind spot and counteract the potential danger to incoming and outgoing air traffic.

As the first airport in Switzerland, St.Gallen-Altenrhein Airport decided to install a drone detection system. This was set up in September in cooperation with DroneShield Ltd. The company DroneShield, headquartered in Sydney Australia, specializes in the detection and defense of drones. For this purpose, sensors were installed at various locations on the airport area.

The system works purely passively and because no radiation is emitted, there is no influence on other systems at the airport or in its vicinity. After weeks of testing and calibration, the system is now operational. As soon as signals from drones are detected, the air traffic control officer receives an alarm and sees the position and a live video image of the drone on his screen. This information is essential in order to recognize the danger and to take the necessary measures at an early stage.