Germany: Drone Sightings Cause Flight Disruptions at Munich Airport

Drone sightings at Munich Airport on Thursday evening forced a temporary shutdown, canceling over 30 flights and affecting nearly 3,000 passengers. Operations resumed early Friday, and affected travelers were rebooked. Authorities are investigating, with calls for stronger anti-drone measures. Similar incidents recently occurred in Denmark and Norway.

Munich Airport reported early on Friday that drone sightings on Thursday evening had forced air traffic control to temporarily halt all operations. The airport’s spokesperson later confirmed that normal flight operations had resumed as of 5 a.m. local time (0300 UTC/GMT), allowing passengers and airlines to begin recovering from the disruption.

“Passengers who were affected by the closure yesterday have been rebooked on new flights, and flights that were cancelled yesterday will be rescheduled for today,” the spokesperson told the AFP news agency. This step was taken to ensure that travelers who were stranded or delayed due to the unexpected shutdown could continue their journeys with minimal further disruption.

A Lufthansa representative also confirmed that flight operations at the airport had resumed according to schedule, adding that the airline was actively coordinating with affected passengers to provide updated itineraries and accommodations where necessary.

The drone sighting resulted in the cancellation of more than 30 flights, affecting nearly 3,000 passengers who were either en route or scheduled to travel through Munich Airport, one of Germany’s busiest airports located in the southern state of Bavaria. The incident underscores growing concerns about the vulnerability of major airports to unauthorized drone activity, which can pose serious safety risks to aircraft during takeoff and landing.

German police reported that the airport’s runways were closed late in the evening as a precautionary measure to prevent potential accidents. Officers conducted extensive searches of the airport vicinity for any suspicious individuals who might have been operating the drones, but the searches yielded no results. A police helicopter was deployed to monitor the surrounding airspace and provide aerial surveillance, highlighting the seriousness with which authorities treated the potential threat.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt described the incident as a “wake-up call” in an interview with the mass-market daily Bild. “The drone sightings over Munich are another wake-up call: The race between drone threats and drone defense is becoming increasingly fierce,” Dobrindt said. He stressed the importance of strengthening national and European efforts to counter the growing risks posed by unauthorized drones, adding that more funding, support, and research are urgently needed to improve defenses against such threats.

Dobrindt also indicated that the upcoming meeting of European Union interior ministers on Saturday would include a focus on anti-drone measures. “At the meeting of European interior ministers this weekend in Munich, we will, in addition to migration issues, explicitly address the situation of drones and the threat posed by drones,” he said. The discussion is expected to explore both technological solutions, such as radar and detection systems, and policy measures to regulate drone usage near sensitive areas like airports.

Bavarian Premier Markus Söder weighed in on the situation, calling for authorities to be granted the ability to quickly neutralize unauthorized drones. He suggested that the state police should be allowed to shoot down drones if necessary to protect public safety. However, some experts have cautioned against this approach, warning that shooting down drones could result in dangerous debris falling in civilian areas and potentially causing injury or property damage.

Meanwhile, German authorities have launched an investigation to identify the origin of the drone or drones responsible for the incident. The investigation is focusing on tracking flight paths, identifying operators, and reviewing any available surveillance footage. Authorities have not yet confirmed whether the drones were operated for recreational purposes, as part of a protest, or with malicious intent.

The Munich drone incident follows similar incidents in other European countries. Airports in Denmark and Norway were temporarily shut down last week due to unauthorized drone sightings, highlighting a growing regional concern over the safety of commercial aviation in the face of increasingly common drone activity. Aviation authorities across Europe have been monitoring these developments closely, and there are growing calls for more stringent regulations and technological solutions to detect and neutralize unauthorized drones.

The timing of the Munich incident is particularly sensitive, as Germany’s Oktoberfest, which draws hundreds of thousands of visitors daily, approaches its final weekend. The festival attracts both international tourists and local visitors, increasing air traffic and the potential risk posed by drones operating near busy flight paths.

At this stage, the identity of those responsible for the drone flights remains unclear. There has been speculation, including in some media reports, that Russia could be involved, although Moscow has denied any connection to the incident. Authorities have emphasized that investigations are ongoing, and they are keeping open the possibility that the drone flights could have been carried out by individuals or groups without state sponsorship.

The Munich Airport incident serves as a stark reminder of the challenges that modern aviation faces in balancing operational efficiency with security concerns in an era of rapidly advancing drone technology. Officials, experts, and policymakers are expected to continue discussions on how to strengthen drone detection and defense mechanisms while ensuring passenger safety and minimizing disruptions to air travel.