Germany’s Munich Airport has suspended flights for the second time within 24 hours due to unconfirmed drone sightings. On Friday evening, the airport announced the suspension at 21:30 local time (20:30 GMT), impacting approximately 6,500 passengers. This follows a similar incident on Thursday evening, where at least 17 flights were grounded because of multiple drone sightings in the airspace surrounding the airport.
This incident in Munich is part of a larger trend of drone-related disruptions in aviation across Europe in recent weeks. Reports indicate that authorities in Belgium were investigating drone sightings above the Elsenborn military site near the German border, where 15 drones were reportedly observed. Following the sightings, the drones were seen moving from Belgium into Germany, particularly noted by police in the small town of Düren. So far, officials have been unable to identify the origin or operators of these drones.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt mentioned he would address the issue of anti-drone defenses at an upcoming meeting of European interior ministers, which was initially scheduled to focus on migration. Additionally, he indicated plans to accelerate legislation that would enable police to request military assistance for shooting down drones.
The recent surge in drone sightings has prompted discussions among European Union leaders, leading to a summit in Copenhagen. During this summit, various member states have expressed support for the development of a multi-layered “drone wall” system designed for quick detection, tracking, and potential destruction of drones, particularly in context with threats perceived from Russia. Incidents have included twenty Russian drones crossing into Polish airspace and Russian MiG-31 jets entering Estonian airspace. Meanwhile, Copenhagen and Oslo airports experienced closures related to unidentified drone sightings near military installations. Danish authorities, however, maintain that there is no evidence linking Russia to these drone activities, despite statements from leaders suggesting otherwise. Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed allegations that he directed drones towards Denmark.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cge2v4r4gr1o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss