Major UK airport could face delay chaos from military drones flying from nearby RAF base Brit holidaymakers travelling from a major airport could face major delays if RAF plans to launch military drones from a nearby base go ahead, bosses have warned.
The RAF has announced plans to launch US-made drones from RAF Fairford, its Gloucestershire base, "two to three times per week", a move airport chiefs have said could have disastrous consequences for UK flights.
Letters seen by the Daily Telegraph outline fears from senior airport managers that blocking the airport flight path could also delay flights for up to 20 minutes.
The path is used by multiple airlines to carry thousands of people to and from the airport several times a week, and, without it, Birmingham bosses say flights could be extended by hundreds of miles.
Routing around the blocked out flight path would also affect up to 15 flights, with the additional time spent in the air wasting up to nine tonnes of fuel and causing 34 tonnes of extra CO2 emissions.
