Drone-like piloted aircraft to be seen over Riga's Spilve area on Friday

A piloted aircraft whose shape may resemble an unmanned aerial vehicle, or drone, is scheduled to fly from Spilve airfield in Riga on Friday, 16 October. The Civil Aviation Agency, the Latvian body responsible for aviation matters, announced this. The warning is meant to help residents of Riga who see an unusual object above the Spilve area to avoid worrying or mistaking it for a threat.

The flight is approved

The agency stresses that the flight has been coordinated and is taking place in line with the applicable regulations. In other words, this is not an unauthorised object or one of unknown origin, but a planned flight by an aircraft operated by a pilot. The source does not specify the aircraft type, the purpose of the flight or its exact time, and the agency has not yet made such details public.

Background

The notice comes at a time when drones are occasionally spotted in the airspace of Latvia and neighbouring countries. In May this year, the crash site of one unmanned aircraft was found in Latvia, and the National Armed Forces said the aircraft detected near the border were most likely Ukrainian drones. In this case, the agency emphasises that Friday's flight is planned and complies with the regulations.