Police have acknowledged that the claim there may never have been a drone at Gatwick Airport was down to “poor communications”.
It came after Sussex Police said on Sunday there was a “possibility” that there might never have been a drone, despite the massive disruption in the run-up to Christmas.
Detective Chief Superintendent Jason Tingley said previously there was no footage of the machine, only eye witness accounts. He said authorities could not rule out that “no drone activity” had taken place.
The admission prompted widespread criticism and ridicule, after more than 1,000 flights were cancelled or delayed following reports of a drone over the airfield.
Sussex Police earlier insisted they are “not back to square one”, despite releasing the two prime suspects initially held.
In an emergency meeting on Christmas Eve, ministers were briefed on the latest situation at the airport, chaired by the beleaguered Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling.
A government source said police have since accepted that there had been “poor communications” on the issue, the Press Association reported.
There have been more than 200 reported drone sightings, and police have taken 67 statements, including from police officers and airport workers.
The police and the Home Office were said to be working together to amplify the message that flying drones near airports is illegal.
They said they were working with witness accounts and had forensic teams examining a damaged drone that was found near a runway.
£50,000 has been offered by the airport and an additional £10,000 from Lord Ashcroft through Crimestoppers, in a bid to persuade someone to come forward with information.
Tingley said: “Someone, somewhere knows either the perpetrator or perpetrators responsible for this, or has information relating to these incidents,” he said.
“But secondly, our tactical response, should there be any more drone sightings, is still in place.”
Flights in and out of the airport were suspended at about 9pm on Wednesday after two drones were sighted near the airfield, with hundreds of flights cancelled and more than 120,000 passengers affected.
Disruption continued throughout Thursday and airport bosses announced at about 9.30pm that the runway would remain closed, with activity from what was believed to be “a modified, professionally prepared drone” detected within the last hour.