The German airport says that 46 flights had been cancelled or delayed, affecting 6,500 passengers.
Printed On 4 Oct 2025
Germany’s Munich airport has reopened after authorities shut it down the earlier night time for the second time in lower than 24 hours after extra suspected drone sightings, as fears heighten throughout Europe that Russia’s struggle in Ukraine may spill over throughout the continent.
The airport, one in every of Germany’s largest, reopened progressively from 7am native time (05:00 GMT) on Saturday.
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Forty-six departures from the airport needed to be cancelled or delayed till Saturday, affecting 6,500 passengers.
Munich airport mentioned that on Friday, “from 9:30 pm air site visitors was restricted after which cancelled as a consequence of drone sightings”, that means 23 incoming flights had been diverted and 12 certain for Munich had been cancelled, leaving almost 3,000 passengers stranded.
A police spokesman advised the AFP information company that there have been “two simultaneous confirmed drone sightings by police patrols simply earlier than 11pm across the north and south runways”.
“The drones instantly moved away, earlier than they may very well be recognized,” he added.
Authorities weren’t instantly capable of present any details about who was answerable for the overflights.
Airports in Denmark, Norway and Poland have just lately suspended flights as a consequence of unidentified drones, whereas Romania and Estonia have pointed the finger at Russia for drone incursions on their territory. Drones had been additionally noticed in a single day in Belgium above a army base.
Some specialists have famous, nonetheless, that anyone with drones may very well be behind them.
Earlier on Friday, German Inside Minister Alexander Dobrindt advised newspaper Bild that the primary night time’s incident was a “wake-up name” on the risk from drones, including that “extra financing and analysis” on the problem was urgently wanted on the nationwide and European ranges.
The disruptions got here because the nation celebrated German Unity Day on Friday – a nationwide vacation – and as Munich equipped for the ultimate weekend of Oktoberfest.
The annual beer gala and enjoyable honest had already closed for half a day on Wednesday after a bomb scare.
The German authorities is predicted on Wednesday to log out on plans for a change within the regulation to let the military shoot drones down if needed.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Europe on Thursday that the latest drone incursions confirmed Moscow was trying to “escalate” its aggression.
Germany is on excessive alert, saying a swarm of them had flown over the nation final week, together with over army and industrial websites.
Denmark additionally raised the alarm, with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen reiterating final week that just one nation “poses a risk to Europe’s safety – and that’s Russia”.
Moscow mentioned it “firmly rejects” any suggestion of involvement, with Russian President Vladimir Putin accusing Europe of stoking “hysteria” to justify rising army spending.
Putin, talking on the Valdai Dialogue Membership within the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Thursday, joked about European claims that Russian drones had invaded NATO airspace, saying that he promised he wouldn’t do it once more, within the case of Denmark, and that he didn’t have drones that might fly all the best way to Portugal’s capital, Lisbon.
“I can’t. I can’t [send] any extra drones, neither to France nor to Denmark, Copenhagen. The place else do they fly to?” Putin quipped.
