Germany: Operations at Germany’s Munich Airport were brought to a standstill late Thursday after drones were spotted in its airspace, triggering widespread disruption to flights and stranding around 3,000 passengers.
According to airport authorities, air traffic control first detected drone activity at 10:18 pm local time (20:18 GMT). Within minutes, flight movements were restricted and later halted entirely. By early Friday, 17 departures had been cancelled while 15 incoming flights were redirected to Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Vienna, and Frankfurt.
Flightradar24, a global flight-tracking platform, reported that all operations remained suspended through the night before gradually resuming on Friday morning.
Eyewitnesses reported several sightings of drones both near and above the airport. Police deployed helicopters to track the devices, but officials confirmed that no details were available regarding their type or number.
“The protection of passengers takes absolute priority,” Munich Airport said in a statement, stressing that counter-drone operations fall under the jurisdiction of federal and state police.
With thousands stranded, airport staff and airlines provided camp beds, blankets, and meals inside terminals. Many passengers were forced to spend the night at the airport as incoming flights continued to be rerouted.
The Munich disruption comes just days after similar drone-related closures in Denmark and Norway. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has publicly suggested Russian involvement, though Moscow has denied any role.
Earlier on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed such allegations during a speech in Sochi, joking that Russia lacked drones capable of reaching cities as far as Lisbon.
European leaders, meeting in Copenhagen this week, pledged to accelerate the development of drone defences. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed creating a drone wall of sensors and interceptors to protect the bloc’s airspace after recent reports of Russian drones crossing into Poland.
