A British Airways aircraft carrying 180 passengers came within feet of colliding with an illegally flown drone while travelling at 170mph near Windsor Castle, in the latest example of drones posing a serious risk to commercial air traffic in UK airspace. The near-miss highlights ongoing concerns about unauthorised drone use around flight paths, particularly close to sensitive and heavily trafficked areas, and renews questions about enforcement of restrictions designed to keep unmanned aircraft away from passenger jets.

The incident occurred as the BA jet was flying at speed in the vicinity of Windsor Castle, with the drone reportedly being operated in breach of the law. Details of the exact altitude, date and any resulting investigation were not fully specified, but the episode adds to a series of drone near-misses reported around UK airports and flight corridors in recent years, underscoring the potential danger such devices pose to passenger safety when flown illegally near aircraft.