Munich Airport in Germany was forced to close both its runways once again after an unidentified drone was spotted in the area — the second such incident in less than 24 hours. The disruption led to dozens of flight cancellations and diversions, leaving at least 6,500 passengers stranded, according to airport authorities.
Late Thursday night, a similar drone sighting prompted a temporary shutdown of the airport, resulting in the cancellation of 17 flights and affecting around 3,000 passengers.
Early Saturday morning, airport officials reported that the new drone sighting caused significant delays starting from 5 a.m. Passengers were advised to contact their respective airlines for updates on their flights.
In a statement on its official website, the airport said: “As a precautionary measure, following the detection of an unidentified drone, the German air transport authority has restricted and temporarily suspended flight operations at Munich Airport until further notice.”
In a later update, the airport confirmed that 23 flights had been diverted to other destinations, while 12 incoming flights and 48 departures were canceled or postponed. Authorities also arranged camp beds, blankets, food, and beverages for stranded passengers.
Similar incidents have been reported at several European airports in recent weeks. Some European officials have accused Russia of being involved in these drone disruptions, though the Kremlin has denied any connection.
In Denmark and Norway, drone sightings near airports have disrupted air traffic for tens of thousands of passengers in recent weeks. Munich’s incident now adds to the growing list of drone-related disruptions across Europe.
Source: Arab News.