Major international airports across the world have contacted Gatwick bosses for advice following last month’s drone disruption.
Executives at several passenger hubs – including some top US airports – have called their Sussex counterparts to find out more about the incident, HuffPost UK understands.
It follows a top-level meeting chaired by transport secretary Chris Grayling on Thursday to establish what has been learnt in the wake of the days-long disruption – which left more than 140,000 effectively stranded after Gatwick was forced to close.
At least one drone was spotted by dozens of witnesses near to Gatwick’s runway between just before 9pm on 19 December, until a last sighting on 21 December.
It is believed that the unusual nature of the threat – with reports from police that devices were observed moving in a chaotic zig-zag movement combined with their seemingly random disappearance and reappearance – has prompted concerns about current levels of protection at airfields the world over.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD), Civil Aviation Authority and police representatives took part in the call with Grayling.
The MOD said on Thursday that military-grade technology brought in to secure Gatwick had been removed, though the army remained on “standby”.
It is understood that a meeting between bosses of all UK airports and aviation minister Baroness Sugg will take place next week to establish what measures other hubs have taken since the Gatwick incident.
Sussex Police, meanwhile, is believed to be continuing to pursue a number of lines of enquiry with a number of suspects in its sights.
The force has been hit by claims it “bungled” the initial investigation into the disruption.
A couple arrested last month in connection with the incident were later released without charge, and a senior officer told reporters there may not have been a drone at all, before hurriedly issuing a correction.
Two drones discovered close to the airport were later “ruled out” of the investigation by detectives.