Munich Airport Briefly Shuts Down Due to Drone Sightings, Disrupting Travel
Munich Airport experienced a temporary shutdown on Thursday night due to multiple drone sightings in the vicinity. The incident, part of a larger trend of drone incursions across Europe, caused significant disruptions to air travel, affecting thousands of passengers.
Flight Disruptions and Passenger Impact
German air traffic control initially restricted flights before halting them entirely at 10:18 p.m. local time. Seventeen departing flights were grounded, impacting nearly 3,000 travelers, while 15 arriving flights were diverted to other airports, including Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Vienna, and Frankfurt. The airport resumed operations at 5 a.m. on Friday.
Many passengers were stranded overnight. Airport staff and airlines provided cots, blankets, drinks, and snacks, while others were transported to nearby hotels as rebooking efforts continued. Lufthansa confirmed that their flight operations returned to schedule early Friday morning, expressing regret for the inconvenience.
Ongoing Investigation and Security Concerns
Authorities, including the federal police, are investigating the drone sightings. Stefan Bayer, a police spokesperson, stated that the responsible parties have not yet been identified. Police deployed helicopters to locate the drones, but were unsuccessful. The Munich Airport emphasized that ensuring traveler safety is the top priority and detection and defense against drones is a sovereign task.
Europe-Wide Drone Concerns and Security Response
The Munich Airport incident is part of a series of drone incursions across Europe. Similar incidents have recently occurred in Denmark, Norway, and Poland, raising security concerns within NATO and the European Union. Some European officials have suggested Russia could be behind the incidents, a claim Moscow denies. Belgium also investigated drone sightings over a military base near the German border.
European leaders discussed the growing drone threat at a summit in Copenhagen this week, vowing to expand countermeasures and coordination. The EU is considering a "drone wall," a network of sensors and weapons to detect and neutralize unmanned aircraft. Alexander Dobrindt, Germany’s interior minister, called the incident a "wake-up call" and noted the need for increased financing and research into drone defense.
While the origin of the drones remains unknown, authorities have vowed to step up measures to minimize and thwart the threat they pose. As Hans-Christian Mathiesen of Sky-Watch noted, a wide range of actors could be responsible, from hobbyists to state actors.
