Oct. 3 (UPI) — Munich International Airport suspended all flight operations due to drones, it said early Friday, making it the latest European travel hub to have flights disrupted by unmanned aerial vehicles.
Several drones were sighted operating near Germany’s second-busiest airport Thursday night, prompting German Air Traffic Control to restrict and then suspend flight operations starting 10:18 p.m. CEST.
“When a drone is sighted, passenger safety has the highest priority,” the airport said in a Friday statement.
The shuttering of the airport impacted nearly 3,000 passengers, halting 17 departing flights and diverting 15 incoming flights to Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Vienna and Frankfurt.
Folding beds were set up in terminals for grounded passengers, who were also provided with blankets, drinks and snacks.
Last week, airports in Denmark and Norway temporarily shuttered operations after drones were sighted in their vicinity.
Earlier this month, Estonia, Poland and Romania each lodged complaints over incursions into their airspace by Russian drones and aircraft. Warsaw even shoot down at least three Russian drones.
The nature and place of origin of the drones that were sighted near Munich International Airport were not immediately clear.
