Drone alarms at Munich Airport: Safety in danger!

Drone alarms at Munich Airport: Safety in danger!

Exciting times for air traffic in Germany: On Thursday evening, drone sightings were reported at Munich Airport, which led to a comprehensive stop of flight operations. Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) was concerned about these developments in an ARD interview and spoke of a serious threat to security. In his opinion, this is not just about mere sightings, but the population should also be unsettled. He also reported that the drones were not armed, but there were still attempts to spye. It is important to point out the growing number of running -off drivers who provoke with their private drones.

The situation was headed by Friday evening when several drones were spotted over the landing tracks of the Munich airport around 11:00 p.m., which led to the immediate blocking of the starting and landingways. Both the federal and state police searched the terrain and airspace, but were unsuccessful to find a specific cause. It remains unclear whether there was really a concrete danger to air traffic.

Shaky views for flight operations

After the incidents, Munich Airport had to hire flight operations on Friday until the next morning. A total of 81 flights were affected; 12 were canceled, 23 were redirected and 46 deleted or shifted. Around 6,500 travelers were affected, some of whom had to spend the night in the airport. In order to accommodate the traveler, the airport management provided field beds, blankets, drinks and snacks. There had already been at least a drone sighting over a Bundeswehr site in Erding, which had the alarm bells ring.

Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann also commented critically and called for expanded skills for the police for drone defense. This coincides with the plans of Federal Minister of the Interior Alexander Dobrindt, who announced a significant change from the Air Security Act and promised a new drone defense center. Such a competence center would help to get the growing challenge of drone sightings better under control.

International dimensions and social reactions

The incidents in Germany are not an isolated case - similar sightings were also reported via other European airports, with some countries of Russia responsible for these developments. However, the Kremlin decidedly rejected these allegations. The discussion about the background of the drone sightings is already making waves in the media and politics. The topic of topics will be recessed on BR television in the “Munich Round” this evening at 8:15 p.m., where high -ranking guests will discuss the situation.

The legal situation regarding drone shooting is also hotly debated. At the moment, the state police units are responsible for illegal drone flights over civilian areas, but they are not allowed to shoot down drones. The Bundeswehr, on the other hand, would be responsible in the event of an operation over military areas, which makes the issue even more complicated. “In the current situation, Germany is ill-prepared for drone provocations,” said political scientist Stefan Meister.

Overall, there is a clear trend: the number of drone disorders increased significantly in Germany in 2025 - 144 cases were recorded by the end of August. The development of effective defensive measures and a better legal framework is essential for the future. In view of these challenges, the question remains how the responsible authorities will react in the future. Is that the new normality in the sky over Germany?

It is to be hoped for the public that the drone provocations will quickly come to an end and take suitable measures to take suitable measures to ensure security in the airspace. It remains to be seen how things will continue in the coming weeks.

For further information you can read the following reports: Germany radio,, The time, and Br.de.