Photo: Contributed

Officials at Vancouver International Airport have issued a warning about drone safety after one was spotted flying near YVR's north runway on Sunday.

No flights were affected, but the incident has officials concerned about the growing use of the remote-controlled aircraft in restricted airspace. Twice this summer, wildfire-fighting operations in the Okanagan were shut down when drones flew over active fires.

Bill Yearwood, with the Transportation Safety Board, says the number of drones getting too close to active airspace is increasing.

“We’re seeing more and more reports of drones around airports, and that is a concern,” he told CTV. “In the most severe instances, this can be catastrophic.”

Officers searched for the drone pilot at YVR, but were unable to find who was responsible.

“We work with our partners at Transportation Canada and at YVR constantly and take sightings of drones extremely seriously,” Cpl. Dennis Hwang told CTV.

Organizations and companies that operate drones require operating certificates, however, there is little regulation for private operators. The province has asked Transport Canada to strengthen regulations and impose stiffer penalties.

“We don’t assume people are out there thinking they’re going to try and take down an aircraft. We think they’re mostly naive about what the problems can be. There needs to be more education on that risk," said Yearwood.

– with files from CTV Vancouver