Spain has asked Morocco to adjust the flight altitude of drones operating near Melilla after one of the devices interfered with the landing of a commercial flight at the Spanish city’s airport, according to Spanish public broadcaster RTVE.
The incident happened Sept. 22 when a drone flying on the Moroccan side of the border was detected near the flight path of an incoming aircraft. The device delayed the landing of an Iberia flight, according to Guardia Civil sources cited by RTVE.
Spain’s Government Delegation in Melilla said the drone was operating in Moroccan airspace and appeared to be carrying out activities similar to those performed by Spanish security forces using drones on the Spanish side of the border.
The airport’s control tower alerted the Guardia Civil after detecting the device.
AENA, Spain’s airport operator, said the incident did not disrupt the airport’s overall operations. There were no flight cancellations, and authorities did not need to close Melilla’s airspace, the company told Spanish public radio RNE.
The Spanish government’s request to Morocco is aimed at preventing drones operating close to the border from interfering with commercial aviation, particularly at an airport already vulnerable to weather-related disruptions.
Low clouds frequently affect flights to and from Melilla, causing delays and cancellations. Spain’s Transport Ministry has previously identified the use of Moroccan airspace as one of the factors complicating efforts to improve the airport’s operations.
The drone incident came as Spanish authorities increased security along Melilla’s border with Morocco following calls on social media for a new attempt at a mass entry into the Spanish enclave.
Police have reinforced their presence around the border area in recent days as authorities monitor the situation.
Melilla Vice President and Tourism Councillor Miguel Marin criticized the fact that the city government was not informed about the drone incident. He also said he hoped such incidents would not affect the city’s air connectivity.
The Spanish government has not said that the drone caused a wider disruption to airport operations, while AENA confirmed that flights continued without cancellations or an airspace closure.
The request to Morocco seeks preventing similar incidents from affecting aircraft movements, rather than on any broader change to the airport’s operating status.
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