Flight operations at Berlin Brandenburg Airport in Germany resumed after being halted for close to two hours due to multiple drone sightings. This disruption occurred only weeks after Munich Airport faced a similar security scare, and it adds to a growing pattern of drone intrusions reported across several European Union countries over the past two months.
The temporary shutdown affected one of Germany’s busiest aviation hubs, leading to delays and diversions as anxious passengers voiced their irritation online. Airport authorities confirmed that numerous incoming flights were redirected to other major German airports during the interruption. Because of the emergency, Berlin also eased its usual restrictions on night-time aircraft movements. According to statements provided to DW, officials indicated that the immediate threat had passed, allowing normal services to restart.
German aviation rules strictly prohibit drone activity within a 1.5-kilometer radius of airports. Despite this restriction, at least three drone sightings took place near Berlin Airport during the incident. The first drone was spotted by an airport staff member near the northern runway, and soon after, police officers patrolling the area confirmed another sighting. The airport immediately declared an emergency, grounded aircraft, and dispatched a police helicopter to locate the unmanned devices.
The disruption prevented flights to Basel, Oslo, and Barcelona from taking off, while an aircraft traveling from London to Berlin was rerouted to Hamburg due to safety concerns. Additional flights scheduled to arrive from Stockholm, Antalya, and Helsinki were also diverted to alternate destinations.
A similar episode unfolded last month at Munich Airport, where drone sightings forced operations to stop twice within 24 hours. Reports from AP noted that nearly 20 departing flights were canceled and roughly 3,000 passengers were impacted. Furthermore, approximately 15 incoming flights were redirected to other German airports and Vienna in Austria.
Beyond Germany, airports in Denmark, Norway, and Poland have also temporarily suspended air traffic in recent weeks because of unidentified drones in restricted airspace, signaling a concerning trend in aviation security across Northern and Central Europe.
