Munich Airport suspends flights for second consecutive night due to drone sightings

Munich Airport halted air traffic for a second night in a row on Friday, impacting over 6,500 passengers and dozens of flights, amidst a series of drone sightings that have raised security concerns across Europe.

4 oct 2025 - 03:13 • 3 min read

Munich Airport was forced to suspend flight operations for the second consecutive night on Friday due to drone sightings, affecting approximately 6,500 passengers and leading to the cancellation or diversion of dozens of flights.

On Friday evening, air traffic was restricted and subsequently canceled from 9:30 p.m. local time, resulting in 23 incoming flights being diverted and 12 bound for Munich being canceled. Additionally, 46 departures were canceled or postponed until Saturday.

This latest disruption follows a similar incident on Thursday night, which caused over 30 flights to be canceled and left nearly 3,000 passengers stranded. The airport anticipates resuming normal operations by 5 a.m. on Saturday.

Police reported two simultaneous drone sightings by patrols just before 11 p.m. on Friday around the north and south runways. According to a police spokesman, the drones moved away before they could be identified.

On Thursday, drones were reportedly spotted in areas near the airport, including the towns of Freising and Erding, which hosts a German military airfield. While the Bild newspaper suggested some drones were seen flying over this facility, police could not confirm the detail. Drones were first observed near the airport perimeter around 9:05 p.m. on Thursday, and over the airport complex about an hour later. Sightings concluded around midnight, but not before both runways were closed.

In response to the incidents, police helicopters were deployed, but no information on the type or number of drones was available.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt described the previous night's incident as a "wake-up call" regarding the threat posed by drones. He emphasized the growing challenge of defense against drones and called for increased national and European funding and research.

The disruptions occurred during Germany's national Unity Day celebrations on Friday and as Munich prepared for the final weekend of the Oktoberfest festival. The beer festival had previously experienced a half-day closure on Wednesday due to a bomb scare.

The German government is expected to approve plans to amend legislation, potentially allowing the army to shoot down drones if necessary. Bavarian state premier Markus Söder advocated for immediate drone downing capabilities instead of waiting for confirmation.

These drone sightings in Germany follow similar incidents in other European countries. Airports in Denmark, Norway, and Poland have recently suspended flights due to unidentified drones. Romania and Estonia have pointed fingers at Russia, which has denied any involvement. Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed allegations, suggesting Europe was manufacturing "hysteria."

European leaders have expressed growing concern over these aerial incursions. Following a summit in Copenhagen, several EU member states are backing plans for a multi-layered "drone wall" to detect, track, and destroy drones. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that airspace incursions are escalating and suggested it is "reasonable to assume the drones are coming from Russia."

In a separate but related incident, authorities in Belgium reported investigating sightings of 15 drones over the Elsenborn military site near the German border, which reportedly flew from Belgium into Germany. Officials have been unable to identify the origin or operators of these drones.