Ryanair is calling on Eamon Ryan to take action to prevent further drone disruption at Dublin Airport

Ryanair has urged Transport Secretary Eamon Ryan to take action to prevent further drone disruption at Dublin Airport after hundreds of passengers saw flights diverted again for a second day.

Flight operations at Dublin Airport were suspended for about 40 minutes this afternoon after two drones were sighted near the runway.

Six incoming flights were diverted because of the incident.

The runway was closed at 2:11 p.m., flights were delayed and disrupted while staff investigated an airspace intrusion.

Flight data shows three flights from Paris, Riga and Porto were diverted to Shannon this afternoon, with arriving and departing flights delayed due to the temporary runway closure.

Another three incoming flights were diverted to Belfast.

Flight operations resumed shortly before 2:50 p.m., the airport operator announced to daa.

It comes less than 24 hours after another drone was spotted near the runway. Dozens of flights to and from the airport have been delayed because of yesterday’s incident.

A daa spokesman said drone sightings are taken very seriously.

“Flight operations at Dublin Airport were grounded this afternoon for safety reasons following two confirmed drone sightings at the airfield.

“It is illegal to fly drones within 5 km of the airport.

“The safety of airport users is daa’s top priority at all times and staff at Dublin Airport and An Garda Síochána remain vigilant regarding drone activity in the vicinity of the airport.”

He said flights resumed at 2.49pm from the new northern runway. The southern runway was reopened six minutes later.

A Ryanair spokesman said: “It is unacceptable that passengers and flights to/from Dublin have been disrupted by apparent drone activity for two days in a row. Yesterday the flights of four Ryanair aircraft and over 700 passengers were diverted to Shannon and Belfast and today another four flights and 700 passengers were diverted with thousands more flights delayed.

“Such disruption from drones at Ireland’s main airport is unacceptable. We call on Minister Ryan to take urgent action to protect the country’s main airport from repeated disruption from illegal drone activity.”