The increasing
integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems, drones, into European airspace
presents complex legal and operational challenges for airport safety and
security. This article examines the evolving regulatory landscape governing UAS
operations within controlled aerodrome airspace through a layered analysis of
European Union (EU) law, national legal frameworks, and relevant jurisprudence.
While EU Regulations (EU) 2019/947 and (EU) 2021/ 664 have established
foundational standards, the study argues that significant legal gaps and
enforcement challenges persist, particularly concerning the specific
responsibilities and liabilities of airport operators. Through comparative case
studies of major European airports (Frankfurt/ Main, Gatwick, Warsaw, Madrid,
and selected Ukrainian cases), the article highlights inconsistencies in
national implementation, the fragmented interface between safety and security
protocols, and the legal ambiguities surrounding counter-UAS (C-UAS)
technologies. It further explores the role of non-binding soft law instruments
in shaping operational best practices amidst these challenges. Ultimately, the
research underscores the necessity of harmonizing hard and soft law instruments
and formally integrating airport stakeholders into regulatory processes to
ensure coherent, accountable, and resilient legal governance of UAS in the
highly sensitive environment of airport operations.