Munich Airport was forced to halt operations for the second day in a row on Friday following multiple drone sightings, affecting over 6,500 passengers. Air traffic was restricted from 9:30 p.m., with 23 incoming flights diverted and 12 departures cancelled, while 46 other flights faced delays or postponements.
Authorities reported two simultaneous drone sightings near the north and south runways just before 11 p.m. “One drone was sighted at the same time on both the north and south runways. During the sighting, the drones immediately turned away and disappeared, so they could not be identified,” a federal police spokesman told Bild.
The disruptions came as Germany celebrated German Unity Day and prepared for the final weekend of Oktoberfest, which attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors. Camp beds, blankets, drinks, and snacks were provided for stranded passengers. Flights resumed “progressively” this morning at the airport, but delays were expected.
The incident happened just a day after the Munich airport halted flights following several drone sightings on Thursday, October 2nd.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt called the first incident a “wake-up call” and stressed the need for increased research, funding, and coordinated measures to protect airports from aerial threats.
Bavarian state premier Markus Söder added that “we must be able to shoot (drones) down immediately instead of waiting.”
Munich’s experience follows a series of similar European drone incursions, including incidents in Denmark, Norway, Poland, Romania, and Estonia.
Federal and state authorities are coordinating on detection and preventive measures, with responsibility shared among airport operators, local police, and federal security forces.
