Munich Airport Drone Activity Causes Flight Disruptions
- Air traffic was suspended from Munich airport on Thursday evening due to reports of drones of unknown origin, according to a German police spokesman for AFP.
- According to a press release from the airport, 17 flights from Munich were canceled in the evening, affecting nearly 3,000 passengers.
- Passengers stranded in Munich were provided with camp beds, blankets, drinks, and snacks, the press release added.
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Munich Airport Suspends Flights Due to Drone Sightings
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Air intrusions in the European sky continue. Air traffic was suspended from Munich airport on Thursday evening due to reports of drones of unknown origin, according to a German police spokesman for AFP.
According to a press release from the airport, 17 flights from Munich were canceled in the evening, affecting nearly 3,000 passengers. The time of resumption of traffic has not yet been announced. Fifteen flights scheduled to arrive in Munich were also diverted to stuttgart, Nuremberg, vienna, and Frankfurt.
Read also: Drones sow the mess over Danish airports and the eyes turn to Moscow
Passengers stranded in Munich were provided with camp beds, blankets, drinks, and snacks, the press release added.
Limited Details on the Drones
Around 7:30 p.m.GMT (9:30 p.m. in Switzerland) on Thursday, several people reported seeing drones near the airport, confirmed the police spokesperson. Bavarian authorities have launched an inquiry to identify the drones and their owners, but have yet to succeed.
Drones were subsequently detected again, this time directly above the airport grounds, leading to the closure of both runways around 8:30 p.m. in Switzerland.
Despite the deployment of police helicopters, “no information is available on the type and number of drones” or their origin, the spokesperson stated.
Context: An Anti-Drone “Wall” Under Discussion
This incident occurs shortly before the final weekend of Oktoberfest, which attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors daily to Munich. The beer festival in the Bavarian city was briefly closed on Wednesday due to a bomb alert and a separate family incident.
Germany is on high alert regarding the threat of drones, as several european countries, including Poland and Denmark, have attributed recent airspace incursions to Russia.On Thursday, the 27 EU member states gathered in Copenhagen to discuss these escalating incidents and explore the possibility of establishing an anti-drone “wall”.
On this subject: An anti-drone wall cannot be static; it must evolve permanently
Timeline of Events
| Time (CEST) | Event |
|---|---|
| 9:30 PM | Initial drone sightings reported near Munich airport. |
| 10:30 PM | Runways closed due to drone presence above the airport. |
| Ongoing | Investigation underway to identify drones and operators. |
| Evening | 17 departing flights
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