A suspected drone sighting prompted authorities to suspend operations at Germany’s Munich Airport on multiple occasions.

Multiple outlets reported that the airport halted flights twice in under 24 hours “as a precautionary measure due to unconfirmed sightings.”

Disruptions have occurred at multiple European airports in recent weeks due to suspected drone activity.

Multiple European Airports Disrupted By Drones, ALL Flights Halted For Hours

Newsweek shared further info:

The disruption came just a day after flights were halted Thursday night following earlier drone reports, stranding thousands of passengers and diverting flights across the region. While service resumed briefly Friday morning, the renewed sightings forced Germany’s second-busiest airport to ground flights again, highlighting the growing security challenge drones pose to European aviation and infrastructure.

The repeated shutdowns at Munich Airport underline a mounting concern for European governments: drones are increasingly disrupting air traffic, raising alarms about safety, security and possible geopolitical threats. Nearly 3,000 passengers were stranded Thursday after 17 flights were grounded and 15 others diverted to airports in Germany and Austria. Hundreds more were forced to sleep on cots in terminals overnight, as authorities scrambled to respond to unconfirmed but credible reports of drones in restricted airspace.

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The incidents are part of a broader pattern across the continent. In recent weeks, drones have been spotted over military bases in Belgium, airports in Norway and Denmark, and even within NATO-member Poland, where incursions linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine triggered fighter jet responses. European leaders are now treating the issue as a cross-border security problem. Germany’s interior minister, Alexander Dobrindt, said he and other ministers will discuss a “drone detection and defense plan” this weekend.

Authorities deployed a laser installation to protect the airport from further drone activity.

Euronews explained:

German newspaper Bild cites anonymous security sources that the laser equipment will allow authorities to find the drone’s distance from the airport.

Euronews Next contacted Germany’s Federal Police to independently verify this claim but did not hear back at the time of publication.

The news comes after Munich airport closed for two consecutive days last week over suspicious drone flights.

The first sightings came around 8:30 pm local time on 2 October in areas around the airport, including the towns of Freising and Erding. Drones were later seen near the airport fence and two hours later around the airport, according to an airport statement.

 

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