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Mysterious flight breaks at Munich Airport: What's behind them?
Munich experienced temporary flight suspensions on October 19, 2025 due to suspicious perceptions that led to diversions.
Mysterious flight breaks at Munich Airport: What's behind them?
A quiet morning at Munich Airport was disrupted yesterday evening by a brief closure of the runway. Numerous passengers were affected due to “suspicious perceptions,” which several people reported to the federal police. Loud Radiowuppertal Air traffic control stopped operations for about half an hour around 10 p.m. After another short interruption during the night, flight operations were normal again on Sunday morning.
There is a lack of clarity about the exact nature of the “suspicious perceptions”. It was not confirmed whether these were suspected drone sightings. However, past experience shows that any drone sightings can have a significant impact on air traffic. Similar incidents occurred on two evenings at the beginning of October, which left almost 10,000 travelers stranded and some were forced to spend the night on camp beds and sleeping mats in the terminals, reports South German newspaper.
Drones: A growing problem for aviation
The increased frequency of drone sightings is also a cause for concern. An evaluation by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) shows that a total of 118 incidents caused by drones were registered at German airports in 2024. Nine of these led to a complete interruption of operations, which resulted in economic damage estimated at around 500,000 euros. The average duration of these incidents was 32 minutes, with one case lasting over an hour. A detailed investigation into the incidents is essential to better understand the impact on air traffic and take appropriate action, such as DLR determines.
The recent incidents in Munich are not isolated. Similar disruptions have occurred elsewhere in Europe, with London Gatwick Airport suffering over €100 million in damage from drones in 2018. Such events remind us that drones are increasingly moving into the focus of security issues and thus also into the operational planning of airports.
How will the situation develop further? One thing is certain: the aviation industry must face the challenges of unmanned aviation systems in order to be able to reliably maintain flight operations in the future. We can only hope that such incidents are resolved as quickly as possible and that the numerous travelers reach their destination safely.