Late on Thursday evening of October 2, German air traffic control (DFS) restricted flight operations at Munich Airport from 22:18 (UTC +1) and later suspended them altogether due to several drone sightings. As a result, 17 flights were unable to take off from Munich that evening, affecting nearly 3,000 passengers.
Munich Airport, in cooperation with the airlines, immediately took care of the passengers in the terminals. Camp beds were set up, and blankets, drinks, and snacks were provided. In addition, 15 arriving flights were diverted to Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Vienna, and Frankfurt.
“When a drone is sighted, the safety of travelers is the top priority. Reporting chains between air traffic control, the airport, and police authorities have been established for years. It is important to emphasize that the detection and defense against drones are sovereign tasks and are the responsibility of the federal and state police,” the airport wrote in a press statement.
It remains unclear whether air traffic can resume on Friday morning.