Drone chaos at Munich Airport: Thousands of travelers stranded!

Drone chaos at Munich Airport: Thousands of travelers stranded!

On Saturday morning, drone sightings provided considerable chaos onMunich Airportthat was temporarily blocked due to this threat. Numerous travelers were forced to stay at the airport overnight while the security authorities tried to clarify the situation. Until the resumption of flight operations at 7:00 a.m., the airport remained paralyzed and there were considerable delays.

Thousands of passengers had to spend the night in an improvised night camp, while the airport provided field beds, blankets, air mattresses, drinks and snacks. Some shops extended their opening hours or remained open all night to supply the stranded travelers. According to reports, the drones viewed were possibly military educational drones, which the security situation also complicated. FOCUS emphasizes that drones leading to an interruption of the company at the round 6,500 passengers were affected.

Authorities in alarm state

In order to control the situation, the authorities have taken measures. The police used lasers and radar devices on the northern runway to recognize drones while a helicopter monitored the airspace over the airport. The support of the Bundeswehr was organized at the request of the Bavarian Ministry of the Interior, which again sparked the discussion about the use of military in Germany. Federal Minister of Justice Stefanie Hubig (SPD) warned of an overlying commitment of the Bundeswehr, while Federal Minister of the Interior Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) is already planning to establish an adapted drone defense unit at the federal police [ZDF] (https://www.zdfheute.de/politik/deutschland/muenchen-bundenwehr-dnahnen-hubig-100.html#:text=Drohnen%20Den%20M%C3%BCNchn er%20 airport%20 time%20lahl.%20beim, the%20m%C3%bcnchner%20 airport%20 -flight operations%20%C3%bcber%20 night) exposed).

Although the flights have now been resumed, the risk of further interruptions remains. Despite intensive search measures, security authorities could not identify any causes of the drone sightings. This uncertainty leads to growing displeasure with the passengers and the aviation industry, which asks for quick solutions to improve the treading and defense. Marie-Christine von Hahn, managing director of the BDLI, emphasized the significant threat of drones for national security and economic development [https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/geffur-fur-passenzeiten-so-schlecht--deutsche-Freight-Freicht-sicht-14342345.html).

The challenges of security technology

A general trend shows that the viewing of drones is becoming increasingly common at German airports. This year there were already 144 reports, an increase compared to 92 sightings in 2019. Experts warn that many drone pilots do not adhere to the regulations. Defense of drones is a complex challenge that involves various authorities and it is not uncommon to distribute responsibility in chaos.

With the Oktoberfest in front of the door, the impending air traffic could be further restricted. The pressure on the security authorities is growing in order to take effective measures for drone defense as quickly as possible. The ADV aviation association calls for a clear legal framework as well as state -funded technologies for recognizing and defending drones in order to sustainably improve security in the airspace.