Munich Airport resumes flights as politicians weigh drone response

Munich [Germany], October 5: Munich Airport resumed its operations on Saturday morning, after drone sightings led to the suspension of all flights during the night, but warned travellers to still expect delays throughout the day.
"Capacity is now gradually being ramped up again," an airport spokesman said. He advised passengers to check the status of their flight with the relevant airlines before travelling to the airport.
Air traffic at Germany's second-largest airport was suspended for the second night in a row on Friday evening as a precautionary measure after drones were spotted.
Police reported two drone sightings in the area of the northern and southern runways shortly before 11 pm (2100 GMT) on Friday. "The drones immediately flew away before they could be identified," a spokesman said.
The airport said 46 flights were unable to depart, while 23 arriving flights were diverted and 12 flights to Munich were cancelled, affecting about 6,500 passengers.
Some had to spend the night at the airport, where camp beds, blankets, drinks and snacks were provided.
The airport stressed that when a drone is spotted, the safety of travellers is the top priority.
Friday's closure came after a drone was spotted over a nearby facility of the German military, or Bundeswehr, and after drone sightings at the airport shut down operations on Thursday, disrupting travel for thousands of passengers.
Drone disruptions on the rise It is unclear who is behind the drone flights and what their motives are. But Bavarian Premier Markus Soder linked Thursday's incident in Munich to other drone sightings across Europe.
"This was not an isolated case," he told Welt TV. "It is the security situation we are
facing."
Europe has been on high alert following a string of drone incidents recently, including sightings in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein in late September. Authorities are investigating suspicions that the drones flew over critical infrastructure there.
Source: Qatar Tribune