Munich Airport Suspends Operations for Second Time in 24 Hours Due to Alleged Unmanned Aircraft Incidents
Germany's Bavarian airport has suspended operations for the another instance in a single day, following more unverified drone sightings.
In a statement on late Friday, the airport authority said that operations were stopped at 9:30 PM local (20:30 GMT), affecting around 6,500 travelers.
No fewer than seventeen flights were also canceled in Bavaria on Thursday night due to multiple drone reports in surrounding the skies.
This marks the newest in a sequence of occurrences featuring unmanned aircraft that have disrupted flight operations in European nations in the last several weeks.
European Agencies Investigate Drone Events
Agencies in Belgium on the previous day were also investigating reports of fifteen unmanned aircraft, which were spotted above the Elsenborn base close to the German border.
Post-incident, the devices reportedly flew from that nation to Germany, where they were also spotted by authorities in the small municipality of Düren.
Authorities have been unable to determine where the UAVs came from or who piloted them.
Government Measures and Legislation
Germany's Interior Minister the official has stated he will raise the topic of anti-drone defences at a Saturday meeting of EU government leaders, which was originally planned as a migration summit.
Previously that day, the official also vowed to accelerate suggested laws allowing it easier for the authorities to petition the military to down drones.
EU Leaders Discuss Drone Issue
Recent drone sightings across the EU resulted in a leaders' summit in that city lately.
Several participating countries have backed strategies for a comprehensive "drone wall" to quickly spot, then track and neutralize Russian aircraft.
Twenty Russian drones flew into that nation and foreign planes entered Baltic airspace in distinct recent incidents.
Danish and Norwegian air hubs were forced to halt operations after unidentified aircraft were spotted near aviation and defense skies.
The nation's leader Friedrich Merz said ahead of the summit that airspace incursions were escalating and that it was "reasonable to assume the aircraft are originating in the Russian side."
Russia has disputed any involvement, while Scandinavian authorities state there was lack of proof Russia was implicated.
Speaking at a meeting in the destination of that area on the previous day, the leader Vladimir Putin dismissed claims he commanded UAVs to Denmark.
"No repeat occurrences. Not again - nor to France or Denmark or that city," the leader remarked.
