Munich: Munich airport was forced to cancel more than a dozen flights and divert several others after unidentified drones were spotted in its airspace, leaving nearly 3,000 passengers stranded overnight.
Authorities confirmed that at least 17 flights were grounded and a further 15 diverted to nearby airports including Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Vienna, and Frankfurt. Flights departing from Munich were also temporarily suspended as air traffic control took emergency measures.
Federal Police said drones were first detected at 21:30 local time (19:30 GMT) and again an hour later, though their origin, size, and type could not be immediately verified due to poor visibility. Police spokesperson Stefan Bayer stated that, “There is no confirmation yet on where the drones came from.”
Munich airport reported that camp beds, blankets, snacks, and drinks were distributed to stranded passengers as the disruption stretched into the night. The chaos coincided with the city’s world-famous Oktoberfest, which draws more than six million visitors each year and is currently nearing its conclusion on October 5.
The incident comes with a wave of unexplained drone sightings across Europe. Copenhagen and Oslo airports were recently forced to close, while EU leaders discussed the growing security threat at a summit in Denmark. In separate recent incidents, 20 Russian drones crossed into Poland, and Russian MiG-31 jets briefly entered Estonian airspace.
While some European officials have raised suspicions of Russian involvement, Moscow has rejected the claims. Speaking at a summit in Sochi, President Vladimir Putin dismissed the allegations with sarcasm, stating that, “I won’t do it again – not to France, not to Denmark, not to Copenhagen.”
The Bavarian state police and Germany’s federal police are continuing investigations into the Munich incident.
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