The size of no-fly zone for drones around airports has been more than tripled after a device caused major disruption at Gatwick Airport at the end of last year.
The new legislation, which comes into force today, bans the gadgets from being flown within 3.1 miles (5km) of airports. The previous exclusion zone was 0.6 miles (1km).
Drones flying near airports has become a hot topic after about 1,000 flights were cancelled at Gatwick due to reported drone sightings last December.
The resulting chaos led to delays for more than 140,000 passengers and eventually saw the military called in to support police efforts to catch the perpetrators.
London Heathrow and Dublin Airports have also suspended flights after drone sitings since the start of the year, but neither lasted more than a few hours.
On top of this, there has been a sharp increase in the number of ‘near-misses’ between aircraft and drones over the past few years – incidents in which the gadgets have flown close enough to planes to present a safety hazard.
There were 125 such incidents recorded in 2018 – up 34% from 93 in 2017. There were just six near-misses recorded in 2014.
Transport secretary Chris Grayling said flying a drone near an airport was a “serious criminal act”.
He added: “The UK has been consistently at the forefront of legislation to tackle drone misuse.”
The incident at Gatwick caused international concern, with several major airports calling for advice and information from British authorities following the chaos.
Anyone found guilty of breaking the new laws could face up to five years in jail.
The Civil Aviation Authority’s code of conduct sets out existing rules for drone-users, including staying below 122m (400ft) and flying at least 50m (164ft) away from buildings and people.
From November 30 of this year, owners of drones weighing between 250g and 20kg will be required to register their devices and pass an online competency test.
Last week the government announced it was launching an inquiry into drone use to compliment the new Drones Bill being brought forward by MPs following the disruptions.
Aviation minister Liz Sugg will meet drone manufacturers in order to discuss how to tackle criminal misuse of their products.