The British Airline Pilots Association is warning of catastrophe unless drones are subject to tougher regulation.

The association demanded compulsory registration of drones on Monday, after Gatwick Airport briefly closed its runway over safety concerns when a drone was spotted in the area.

Authorities diverted four EasyJet flights. A British Airways flight was sent to Bournemouth Airport.

The union's flight safety specialist, Steve Landells, says the incident shows "that the threat of drones being flown near manned aircraft must be addressed before we see a disaster."

This is not the first near-miss between a drone and an aircraft. Perhaps the most famous incident occurred in November 2016, when two drones were spotted in the path of an Airbus A320 making its descent into the Heathrow airport. About 30 minutes later, a Boeing 777 approaching Heathrow flew within 50m of one of the drones. 

Another incident occurred involving a drone and a descending plane on November 25, 2016, in Edinburgh. In that case, the drone came within "75 feet of" the plane, and a report by the UK Airprox Board stated that the drone was "avoided only by providence." This incident was classified as a category A incident.