Flights Resume at Munich Airport After Drone Disruptions
Flights at Munich Airport in Germany have resumed following unverified drone sightings that led to operational suspensions twice within a 24-hour period. On Friday evening, airport officials announced that flight operations were halted at 21:30 local time (20:30 GMT), impacting approximately 6,500 passengers. This incident follows another disruption on Thursday evening when at least 17 flights were grounded due to multiple drone sightings in the surrounding airspace.
The recent drone activity is part of an ongoing trend of incidents that have disrupted air travel across Europe. As of Saturday morning, Munich Airport reported that flight operations were being "gradually ramped up," but warned passengers to expect delays throughout the day. Travelers are encouraged to check their flight status online before heading to the airport.
In a related incident on Thursday, Belgian authorities investigated sightings of 15 drones near the Elsenborn military site close to the German border. Reports indicated that these drones flew from Belgium into Germany, where they were spotted by police in the small town of Düren. So far, officials have not identified the origin or operators of these drones.
Germany’s Interior Minister, Alexander Dobrindt, plans to address the issue of anti-drone defenses at a meeting of European interior ministers on Saturday, which was originally focused on migration. He also announced intentions to expedite proposed legislation that would allow police to request military assistance in neutralizing drones.
The recent surge in drone sightings across the European Union prompted a leaders’ summit in Copenhagen earlier this week. Several EU member states have expressed support for establishing a comprehensive "drone wall" designed to quickly detect, track, and neutralize potential threats, particularly from Russian drones. Recent reports indicated that twenty Russian drones entered Polish airspace, while Russian MiG-31 jets were detected in Estonian airspace.
Copenhagen and Oslo airports experienced closures due to unidentified drones appearing near military and airport airspaces. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz highlighted the increasing frequency of airspace violations, suggesting that it is "reasonable to assume the drones are coming from Russia." However, Russia has denied any involvement, and Danish authorities have stated that there is no evidence linking Moscow to these incidents.
During a summit in Sochi, Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed allegations of orchestrating drone operations over Denmark, humorously remarking, "I won’t do it again. I won’t do it again – not to France or Denmark or Copenhagen."
For the latest updates and information, travelers are advised to keep an eye on official airport communications.
