A 41-year-old father of two, accused of illegally flying a drone into a “critical area” of Dublin Airport, is now facing the prospect of a jury trial after the charges against him were upgraded by the court.

Ainis Guzauskas was arrested in February and charged with knowingly causing a false alarm by flying a DJI Mini 2 drone into a critical area of Dublin Airport. The offense, which took place on July 2, 2022, allegedly interfered with the operation of an aerodrome. According to Irish Aviation Authority, it is illegal to fly drones within 5 km of the airport.

Guzauskas was subsequently banned from flying drones. He was also prohibited from going within two kilometers of the airport without prior permission from the police, even though he lived just two kilometers from the airport “as the crow flies,” or at a driving distance of 2.5 km. The police confiscated his both drone and passport.

This week, Guzauskas was produced in court again. The earlier charge against him was withdrawn and replaced with a more serious offense under Section 3 of the Air Navigation and Transport Act, 1975. Guzauskas is now accused of “unlawfully and intentionally interfering with the operation of an air navigation facility, Dublin Airport.”

The man is yet to indicate a plea. But if decides to contest the case, he could face a jury trial with broader sentencing powers. The case resumes in July.

This year alone, alleged drone sightings at Dublin Airport have disrupted traffic and led to flights being redirected on multiple occasions. But unlike other major European airports, the facility is yet to deploy anti-drone technology.

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