Munich Airport Temporarily Closed Due to Unidentified Drone Sightings

On Thursday evening, Munich Airport in Germany was closed as a precaution due to reports of unidentified drones spotted near the facility. The sightings were reported around 9:30 PM, leading to major disruptions in air travel. Seventeen departing flights were unable to take off, leaving nearly 3,000 passengers stranded. Furthermore, an additional 15 incoming flights were diverted to other airports in Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Vienna, and Frankfurt. Following the closure, police conducted a thorough search of the airport, employing helicopters to assist in the effort. However, the drones were not located, prompting concern among authorities. The airport was reopened in the early hours of Friday morning, alleviating some of the chaos for passengers. This incident raises significant concerns, especially in light of recent incursions of Russian drones into the airspace of several Northern and Eastern European countries, including Poland and Denmark. In response to these threats, European leaders convened in Copenhagen on Tuesday to discuss the potential establishment of a 'drone wall' along the eastern border of the European Union, which is seen as the most vulnerable to possible Russian incursions. The discussions about this proposed security barrier yielded little in terms of concrete plans, leaving the specific functions and logistics of such a wall unclear at this time. The Munich Airport incident serves as a stark reminder of the evolving threats posed by drone technology and the critical need for robust airspace security measures throughout Europe. Related Sources: • Source 1 • Source 2