WORCESTER, Mass. - A series of drone sightings in the Eastern United States has state leaders concerned, and the arrest of two men accused of flying one too close to Boston Logan International Airport may be raising some questions for travelers.

At nearby Worcester Regional Airport, there have been issues in the past with people flying drones too close, and Director Andy Davis said it’s something they’re always trying to educate the public about.

What You Need To Know

  • A series of drone sightings in the Eastern U.S. and the arrest of two men accused of flying one too close to Logan Airport may be raising some questions for travelers and nearby residents

  • At Worcester Regional Airport, Director Andy Davis said drone sightings have occurred before

  • Incidents are usually caused by recreational operators being unaware of the rules of flying

  • Gov. Maura Healey said she is monitoring the situation closely

“On occasion, we will get a report, mostly from a pilot that has observed a drone as they’re approaching the airport,” Davis said. “We will follow up, notify the law enforcement officials, they’ll do their investigation and follow the law. It’s a rare occurrence, but it does happen.”

Davis said drone incidents near the airport usually involve someone who doesn’t know the rules of operating a drone flying it too close, and while the recent rise in drone sightings reported across the region has been a concern, one explanation could be that there are now nearly 800,000 registered drones throughout the country.

“Half of those are commercial, the other half are recreational,” Davis said. “The commercial operators, they have to be certified, so they know the rules of the road. They know what to do. They know the notification requirements and the distance they need to stay away from certain areas like airports. A lot of those are realtors and contractors that work with realtors to get aerial views of the houses they’re selling.”

Gov. Maura Healey posted on social media on Saturday that she’s aware of the growing number of drone sightings and is monitoring the situation closely.

Davis said it’s an issue the airport is always keeping an eye on.

“We do monitor, we also follow up on reports from pilots,” Davis said. “We have detection systems that can follow up and trace where those drones are being operated from. We really urge people to read through the information in the packaging with their drones and register it on the FAA website.”

The Federal Aviation Administration released a notice last week answering several frequently asked questions about drones, including who can fly one, where they can and can’t be used, and what to do if a drone is flown over your home.