Munich Airport reopens after drone sightings disrupt operations

BRUSSELS

Flight operations at Munich Airport resumed early Saturday after repeated drone sightings forced the suspension of takeoffs and landings for the second consecutive evening, local media reported.

Germany's second-largest airport had initially planned to begin flight operations at 5 am, but the start was delayed until around 7 am after federal police confirmed multiple drone sightings near both runways late Friday night, according to the Die Zeit newspaper.

The airport operator said 23 incoming flights were diverted, 12 canceled, and 46 departures could not take place, affecting roughly 6,500 passengers.

Many travelers spent the night inside the terminals, where authorities distributed camp beds, blankets, and refreshments.

Drone activity had already caused similar disruptions at Munich Airport on Thursday evening, when around 3,000 passengers were stranded after flight operations were temporarily halted.

The repeated incidents have prompted German officials to call for stronger countermeasures against drones near critical infrastructure.

North Rhine-Westphalia's Interior Minister Herbert Reul said Germany "urgently needs a functioning drone defense system," stressing that security agencies must be "modern and capable" of responding effectively.

The motives behind the drone flights remain unclear. Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder said the events are part of a broader European pattern of security concerns.

Reul cautioned that such incidents, whether coordinated or not, "play into (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's hands" by spreading uncertainty.

Drone-related disruptions at German airports have sharply increased this year. German Air Traffic Control (DFS) recorded 144 such incidents nationwide by the end of August, up from 113 during the same period last year.

The incident comes as multiple EU states, including Poland, Romania, Estonia, and Denmark, have recently reported airspace violations or disruptions by drones. Russia, which has been accused of the violations, denies involvement.