Drone Sightings Disrupt Munich Airport Operations
(MENAFN) Air traffic at Munich Airport resumed early Saturday morning after a second night of interruptions caused by repeated drone sightings, as reported by a news agency.
This marked the second evening in a row that both takeoffs and landings had to be temporarily halted due to unauthorized drone activity.
Initially, authorities at Germany’s second-busiest airport had intended to restart operations at 5 a.m.
However, the reopening was delayed until approximately 7 a.m., following confirmation from federal police of multiple drone appearances near both runways late Friday night, according to the news agency.
As a result of the disturbances, the airport’s management reported that 23 inbound flights were redirected, 12 were annulled, and 46 scheduled departures were unable to proceed. These disruptions impacted an estimated 6,500 passengers.
A significant number of travelers were forced to remain overnight within the terminals. In response, officials provided temporary beds, warm coverings, and food and drink to those affected.
This was not the first such incident at the airport.
On Thursday evening, drone sightings had already caused similar chaos, leaving about 3,000 passengers stranded when flight operations were also suspended temporarily.
In light of the recurring drone interference, German authorities are now urging the implementation of stricter security protocols to prevent such episodes near vital infrastructure.
North Rhine-Westphalia’s Interior Minister, Herbert Reul, emphasized that Germany "urgently needs a functioning drone defense system," and underscored that law enforcement must be "modern and capable" of handling such threats.
The intent behind the drone incursions remains uncertain. Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder noted that these incidents reflect a wider trend of security challenges emerging across Europe.
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