Flights were abruptly halted late Thursday at Munich Airport after drones were spotted in the vicinity. This incident marks Germany as the most recent European nation to experience air travel shutdowns due to drone activity in recent weeks.
The drone activity was first detected at 10:18 p.m. local time, leading to the grounding of 17 outbound flights from Munich and impacting nearly 3,000 passengers. Additionally, fifteen incoming flights had to be rerouted to alternative airports in Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Vienna, and Frankfurt.
An airport statement emphasized, “When a drone is sighted, the safety of travelers is the top priority.”
Just last week, several airports in Denmark and Norway faced similar closures after drone sightings. Danish leaders openly described these events as attempts to instill fear. European leaders are already highly vigilant due to recent Russian aircraft incursions into the airspace of Poland, Estonia, and Romania. They have attributed these latest drone incursions to Russia, an accusation Moscow vehemently denies.
Passengers whose flights were affected in Munich were provided with essential comforts, including beds, blankets, drinks, and snacks, the airport confirmed.
This is a developing story that will be updated.