Germany’s Munich Airport was forced to suspend operations late Thursday night after multiple drone sightings disrupted flight schedules, grounding 17 flights and diverting 15 others. The incident impacted nearly 3,000 passengers and marked yet another disruption for European aviation hubs grappling with suspected drone incursions.
Operations hit
The airport authority said the shutdown began shortly after 10 pm local time when drones were spotted near the airspace. “When a drone is sighted, the safety of travelers is the top priority,” it said in a statement.
Flights were diverted to Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Vienna, and Frankfurt, while departures from Munich were temporarily halted.
Recurring issue across Europe
The disruption comes just days after similar drone sightings led to temporary airport closures in Denmark and Norway. Denmark has not publicly identified who is behind the incursions but Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said, “we can at least conclude that there is primarily one country that poses a threat to Europe’s security – and that is Russia.”
European Union leaders on Wednesday agreed to boost air defence cooperation to counter alleged Russian drone activity. NATO members Poland and Romania have also reported drone incursions, while Estonia has accused Russia of violating its airspace with fighter jets.
Munich on alert
Munich, a hub for Lufthansa, handled nearly 20 million passengers in the first half of this year. The airport has already faced heightened security this week, after Oktoberfest was briefly shut due to a bomb threat and explosives were found in a city residential building.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin, responding to the European accusations, joked on Thursday that he “would not fly drones over Denmark anymore.” Moscow has denied any involvement in the drone incidents