Munich Airport Drone Disruptions: 170 Flights Canceled, Minister Vows Tighter Security
Munich Airport grappled with substantial disruptions over the weekend due to unauthorized drone sightings. Approximately 170 flights were canceled on Saturday, impacting thousands of travelers. Federal Interior Minister Dobrindt has announced plans to fortify drone defense capabilities.
The incidents commenced on Thursday and Friday evenings, with drones spotted near the north and south runways. This led to temporary flight suspensions, affecting around 6,500 passengers. Despite investigations, the origin and responsible parties remain unknown, sparking criticism about insufficient surveillance and unclear responsibilities between authorities.
Flight operations resumed on Saturday, but with expected delays and disruptions. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) plans to establish a joint drone defense center and expand communication and analysis capabilities. However, he provided no new information on the recent sightings in Bavaria. The German Armed Forces are now assisting in monitoring the airport at the request of the Bavarian Ministry of the Interior. NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) suggested that not every drone is controlled by the Kremlin but could still be used to cause disruption.
Stranded passengers are being cared for on site, with provisions and extended opening hours for shops and facilities.
Munich Airport continues to operate with caution following the drone incidents. While plans for enhanced drone defense are underway, the responsible parties for the recent sightings remain unknown. Passengers are advised to verify flight statuses and allow for extra time due to expected delays.
Read also:
- Web3 gaming platform, Pixelverse, debuts on Base and Farcaster networks
- Amazon customer duped over Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti purchase: shipped item replaced with suspicious white powder; PC hardware fan deceived, discovers salt instead of GPU core days after receiving defective RTX 5090.
- Infiltration of Estonian airspace by Russian military aircraft
- Cyber aggression intensifies by China-backed TA415 group, targeting Taiwan's semiconductor production and supply networks
