Munich Airport Temporarily Closed Due to Drone Sightings

Munich Airport in Germany temporarily suspended operations on Thursday night following multiple drone sightings. The airport reported that 17 flights were grounded shortly after 10 p.m. local time, impacting nearly 3,000 passengers. Additionally, 15 incoming flights were diverted to Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Frankfurt, and Vienna. Flight tracking data indicated several aircraft circling the airport around 11 p.m. before rerouting.

A call handler at Munich Airport stated, "Some flights are still waiting to take off, others have been canceled. Everything is under control and the airport is due to reopen at 5 a.m." A departures board showed several flights scheduled for departure after 5 a.m. local time.

Lufthansa, the German flag-carrier, confirmed that 19 of its flights were canceled or diverted due to the closure, including three long-haul flights to Asia, which are set to be rescheduled. The airline provided affected passengers with food, drinks, and blankets.

This incident follows a series of drone-related disruptions at European airports. Last week, Denmark experienced multiple drone sightings over several airports, leading to significant flight cancellations and diversions. In response, Denmark banned all civilian drone flights in its airspace ahead of a European leaders' summit in Copenhagen. The summit addressed measures to protect European airspace, including a proposed "drone wall" initiative—a layered network of detection and interception systems to enhance anti-drone capabilities.

European leaders have expressed concern over the increasing frequency of drone incursions. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated, "We can at least conclude that there is primarily one country that poses a threat to Europe’s security – and that is Russia." The Kremlin has denied involvement in these incidents.

Munich, a city of over one million residents, was already on high alert after its Oktoberfest beer festival faced a temporary closure earlier this week due to a bomb threat.