An unauthorized drone spotted near Pittsburgh International Airport grounded flights for 80 minutes Monday.

While terminal operations were unaffected, the presence of the drone in the airspace was an immediate safety risk for other aircraft, making the ground stop necessary for takeoffs and arrivals.

Local law enforcement is now seeking the suspect, who could face a fine or criminal charges for flying the drone in protected airspace.

The delay caused knock-on effects at the airport for much of Monday afternoon; an air traffic control advisory sent at 3:40 p.m. warned that flights arriving at Pittsburgh could be delayed for up to an hour due to the drone.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.