Munich, (BN24) — Munich Airport reopened on Friday morning after a series of drone sightings forced it to shut down operations and cancel several flights the night before, leaving thousands of passengers stranded. At least 17 flights were grounded, affecting nearly 3,000 travelers, while 15 others were diverted to nearby airports, including Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Vienna, and Frankfurt. The shutdown began at around 9:30 PM local time on Thursday and lasted for several hours, with air traffic control suspending departing flights and closing the airport earlier than usual.
The German flag carrier Lufthansa confirmed that its flight operations had resumed “according to schedule” by Friday, following the temporary suspension. However, the airline reported that 19 Lufthansa flights had been impacted, either canceled or rerouted, due to the closure of Munich’s airspace.
Authorities are still investigating the origins of the drones, though no immediate confirmation was provided regarding whether they were intentionally targeting the airport or simply flying through restricted airspace. The sightings, which occurred at night, led to heightened security at the airport, with federal police stepping in to assess the situation. Stefan Bayer, a spokesperson for the Federal Police, told Bild Newspaper that the drones were first spotted at 9:30 PM, with another sighting an hour later. However, because the drones were observed after dark, no details about their size or type have been confirmed.
The closure of Munich Airport is the latest in a series of drone-related disruptions across Europe. In recent weeks, several airports have been forced to close their operations temporarily after drone activity was reported. Munich’s closure follows similar incidents at Copenhagen and Oslo airports, where unidentified drones were spotted near military and civilian airspaces.
The German authorities, as well as other European officials, have expressed increasing concern over the safety risks posed by these drone sightings. While Russia has denied involvement in the recent drone disruptions, including incidents in Poland and Estonia, the European Union has ramped up discussions regarding how to secure airport and military airspaces from potential drone threats.
The drone disruption in Munich comes during the peak of the city’s annual Oktoberfest festival, which draws more than six million visitors every year. The festival, which ends on October 5, had already been partially interrupted earlier in the week due to a bomb scare. As of Friday morning, the airport worked quickly to accommodate passengers who had been left stranded overnight, with camp beds, blankets, snacks, and drinks provided to those affected by the cancellations.
The drone scare also prompted a meeting of European leaders in Copenhagen earlier this week to discuss rising drone-related security threats across the continent. Despite the tensions, Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed claims that his government was behind the incidents, joking during a summit in Sochi that he “won’t do it again” in countries like France or Denmark.
As Munich’s airport returned to normal operations on Friday, the airport’s officials, alongside local police and air traffic control, faced renewed scrutiny over how to prevent further disruptions in the future. The incident has raised questions about security protocols at major international airports, especially as drone technology continues to evolve, posing new challenges for aviation safety worldwide.
