Overview
- Flights were halted again late Friday after police reported two simultaneous drone sightings near both runways, with about 6,500 passengers affected and 23 arrivals diverted as dozens of departures were cancelled or pushed into Saturday.
- Thursday night’s first closure led to 17 departures being cancelled and 15 arrivals diverted to Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Vienna and Frankfurt, impacting nearly 3,000 passengers before service resumed early Friday.
- Operations restarted on Saturday morning, but the airport and airlines warned of continuing delays and advised travelers to check flight status.
- Federal and state police deployed helicopters and search teams yet reported no recovered devices and no details on the drones’ type or number, as investigations continue without public attribution.
- German officials labeled the incidents a wake-up call as Berlin prepares legal changes to permit military shoot-downs and Bavarian leaders seek police authority, while EU leaders advance a coordinated ‘drone wall’ after similar disruptions in Denmark, Norway and Poland and reported sightings over Belgium’s Elsenborn base.