Munich Airport Paralysed: Drone Sightings Spark Chaos and Ground Thousands

Travel plans for thousands of passengers were thrown into disarray at Munich Airport as a series of reported drone sightings forced a complete shutdown of operations for several crucial hours. The alarming incident, which occurred late Wednesday evening and extended into Thursday morning, brought Europe's second-busiest airport to a grinding halt, highlighting a growing threat to aviation security.

The chaos began when German air traffic control reported multiple drone sightings in the vicinity of the airport.

Responding swiftly to the unprecedented threat, airport authorities made the critical decision to suspend all flight operations. From 6:54 PM GMT on Wednesday until approximately 10:54 PM GMT, no aircraft were permitted to take off or land, effectively grounding flights and leaving passengers stranded in terminals or diverted to other airports.

The impact was immediate and widespread.

An airport spokesperson confirmed that at least 60 flights were canceled outright, while another 60 suffered significant delays. This domino effect rippled through the flight schedule, affecting not only departures and arrivals at Munich but also connecting flights across various European and international routes.

Thousands of travelers, many on their way home for the holidays or embarking on vacations, faced frustrating uncertainties and prolonged waits.

German Federal Police immediately launched a comprehensive investigation into the sightings. Police helicopters were deployed to scour the airspace around the airport, searching for the elusive drone operators responsible for the disruption.

Despite extensive efforts, the individuals behind the unauthorized drone flights could not be located, leaving authorities to grapple with the security implications of such an incident.

This event echoed a similar, more severe incident that had gripped London's Gatwick Airport just weeks prior, where repeated drone sightings over several days caused thousands of cancellations and affected over 140,000 passengers during the pre-Christmas travel rush.

These incidents underscore the vulnerability of modern air travel to misuse of readily available drone technology and the urgent need for robust counter-drone measures and stricter regulations.

Under German law, unauthorized drone operation near airports is a serious offense, carrying hefty fines and potentially even prison sentences.

Authorities continue to investigate the Munich incident with the utmost gravity, emphasizing the critical importance of adhering to aviation safety regulations to prevent such dangerous disruptions in the future. As normal operations slowly resumed, the incident left a stark reminder of the evolving challenges facing airport security worldwide.