Strong action will be taken for planes, drones violating G7 no-fly zone, says RCMP

The RCMP says air restrictions will be in place in two main areas during the upcoming G7 Leaders' Summit in Alberta this June and officials will make sure that no unwanted drones or aircraft enter the airspace.

Sgt. Mark Basanta from RCMP Protective Operations said the no-fly zones will include both the Calgary International Airport and Kananaskis, where the leaders will be.

He said the radius at Kananaskis Village will be 30 nautical miles (56 kilometres), while it will be 20 nautical miles (37 kilometres) at the airport.

The restrictions are set to begin at 6 a.m. June 14 and remain in effect until 11:59 p.m. on June 17.

Basanta said unauthorized aircraft and drones will be met by RCMP or Canadian Forces aircraft and could be shot down as a last resort.

"Shooting is an extreme measure, but yeah, we have the capability to take them down," Basanta said Friday in an aircraft hangar at the Springfield airport, located on Calgary's western edge.

"Our hope is if they're heading towards it, there will be a broadcast over their frequency and basically they'll be told to change their heading," he added.

"Short of doing that, they can expect to be intercepted by the Canadian Armed Forces that are flying. They will be met. They will be intercepted. We do have F-18s flying a combat air patrol. Hopefully that's enough of a deterrent."

Canada will host leaders from the United States, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and Italy, as well as the European Union at the meeting scheduled from June 15 to 17.

Basanta said his biggest concern is the use and popularity of drones. He said there will be a counter-drone team deployed in the Kananaskis region to curb their behaviours.

"We have a lot of people in the country, a lot of drone enthusiasts that will be flying, but we do have measures where we can take them down," Basanta said.

He didn't specify what the measures could be but said drones pose a "grave risk."

"Our main concern is the hobbyists flying the drones inadvertently flying into the aircraft. A threat from a drone is one thing ... it's also ensuring the safety of our own aircraft that are in the air."

In January, a California man was charged after operating a drone that crashed into a Quebec water bomber fighting the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles.

The CL-415 plane was grounded after the small remote-controlled aircraft flew into it on Jan. 9, leaving a sizable hole in its wing.

Basanta said the restrictions will not affect regularly scheduled commercial flights.