A 24-year-old Dallas man is facing up to eight years in federal prison after prosecutors say he flew a drone into restricted airspace at two of the region's busiest airports on consecutive nights. Pujan Prashantkumar Gajjar was arrested by federal agents and made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Renee Harris Toliver last month, following a federal grand jury indictment on four counts tied to unauthorized drone operation in protected airspace.
According to FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth, prosecutors allege Gajjar flew a drone into the runway exclusion zone at Dallas Love Field around 11:30 p.m. on June 26, 2025, with the indictment further alleging the aircraft crossed an active runway at the airport. The following night, prosecutors say, he allegedly flew the same drone into restricted airspace surrounding Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Investigators also allege Gajjar acted as an airman without the required airman's certificate, according to prosecutors.
The grand jury handed up its indictment on September 16, 2026, charging Gajjar on four counts related to the unauthorized operation of an unmanned aircraft in protected airspace, the station's report notes. His arrest and initial court appearance followed less than a week later, on September 22, 2026.
Federal Officials Warn of Danger to Pilots and Passengers
R. Joseph Rothrock, the FBI's Dallas special agent in charge, said operating a drone in restricted airport airspace threatens pilots and crew members as well as people on the ground, per the same account. U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould echoed that warning, saying unauthorized drone incursions into protected airport airspace jeopardize aircraft and endanger pilots, passengers and the entire community.
Under federal regulation, no person may operate a small unmanned aircraft in prohibited or restricted areas without permission from the appropriate using or controlling agency, according to the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Separately, federal law allows a fine under Title 18 or imprisonment of not more than three years, or both, for anyone who knowingly and willfully serves or attempts to serve as an airman operating an aircraft in air transportation without an airman's certificate, according to the Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. Code.
Part of a Growing National Pattern of Airport Drone Incidents
The Dallas case lands amid mounting federal concern over drones near commercial airports nationwide. The Federal Aviation Administration says it receives more than 100 reports of unmanned aircraft sightings near airports every month.
That concern has played out in real incidents elsewhere. On September 16, 2026, flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport were halted for about 20 minutes after pilots reported seeing a drone over an active runway, according to CNN. Airport operations workers searched for the drone but did not find it, the outlet reported, and the National Transportation Safety Board separately found 15,214 near-miss events at that airport between 2021 and 2024.
Federal prosecutors have pursued similar cases elsewhere in recent months. In North Carolina, a man pleaded guilty after operating a drone without authorization within a runway exclusion zone at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in March 2026, according to plea documents cited by the U.S. Department of Justice, Western District of North Carolina. And in California, the FBI charged a San Francisco man for flying a drone within restricted airspace around Levi's Stadium during an NFL game in violation of an FAA temporary flight restriction.
The Dallas case remains at the indictment stage, with Gajjar facing up to eight years in federal prison if convicted on the four counts.
