Overview

• Runway operations were halted late Thursday after drone sightings, canceling 17 departures and diverting 15 arrivals, with roughly 3,000 passengers stranded overnight on field beds or sent to hotels.
• Flights resumed Friday morning, then were paused again in the evening as a precaution following new reports of possible drone activity, according to the airport.
• State and federal police, including a helicopter, searched the airport area but reported no arrests and recovered no devices, and officials have not determined the number or type of drones.
• The Bundeswehr confirmed a drone sighting over a nearby military facility in Erding, and investigators are assessing any link to the airport incident.
• Political and industry figures pressed for faster deployment of detection and neutralization systems and clearer legal authority, with Bavaria’s leader advocating immediate shoot‑down powers and air traffic data showing 144 drone‑related disruptions nationwide through August.