Portugal airline chief complains of drone near-misses

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — The head of Portugal’s national airline says he is considering asking authorities to order that all drones in the country be grounded, following a series of near-misses with commercial aircraft.

TAP Air Portugal President Fernando Pinto says that if drones “keep entering airspace, we’re going to call for them to be grounded.”

He says that such an appeal could set off a worldwide movement against the devices.

Around the world, the number of near-misses with aircraft has increased dramatically in recent years as the popularity of drones has grown.

Air traffic control company NAV says a TAP plane with 74 passengers almost collided with a drone as it approached Lisbon airport Sunday evening. The Portuguese Air Accident Office has told The Associated Press it was the 10th incident this year.