Late Thursday, operations at Munich Airport came to an abrupt halt following reports of nearby drone sightings. This incident marks Germany as the latest European nation to experience air travel disruptions due to these mysterious aerial intrusions in recent weeks.
The drone activity, first observed at 10:18 p.m. local time, forced the cancellation of 17 outbound flights from Munich, impacting nearly 3,000 passengers. Additionally, fifteen incoming flights had to be rerouted to alternative airports in Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Vienna, and Frankfurt, as confirmed by an airport statement.
“The safety of travelers is paramount whenever a drone is sighted,” the airport emphasized in its official statement.
Just last week, several airports in Denmark and Norway also faced closures due to similar drone sightings. Danish leaders publicly framed these events as an attempt to incite fear within the country. European officials, already on heightened alert following recent Russian aircraft incursions into the airspace of Poland, Estonia, and Romania, have attributed responsibility for these recent drone incidents to Russia. However, Russia has steadfastly denied these accusations.
Passengers affected by the groundings in Munich were provided with beds, blankets, refreshments, and snacks, according to the airport.
This is a developing story and will be updated as new information becomes available.