Munich Airport Closed Again Due To Mysterious Drones

UNSPLASH/David Syphers ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - The two runways at Munich Airport were closed on Friday night local time for the second time in less than 24 hours after drones were spotted again.

This resulted in dozens of flights being diverted or canceled and displaced some 6,500 passengers, authorities said.

Saturday, October 4 morning, the airport announced that the schedule for opening at 5 am was postponed due to drone sightings. The airport advises passengers to contact their airlines.

"The German air traffic control limits flight operations at M\"unchen Airport as a precaution due to the appearance of unconfirmed drones and suspends them until further notice," reads a statement on the airport's website.

In the next update, the airport said 23 flights were diverted, 12 flights to M\"unchen, and 48 departures were canceled or delayed.

"Like the night before, airports and airlines took care of passengers," he continued.

"Fall beds, blankets, drinks, and snacks are distributed," said the airport manager.

The night before, the captain of the London plane whose departure was canceled told runway passengers had been closed due to drone sightings near the runway taking off and landing.

Police helicopters were flying near the site.

The airport website shows scheduled arrivals have been diverted starting at 20.35 local time.

Munich Airport was closed for several hours on Thursday night and early in the morning after an unconfirmed drone interfered with dozens of flights.

Europe's aviation has been hit repeatedly by chaos in recent weeks as a result of the sightings of an unmanned aircraft (drone) that some authorities have blamed on Russia. The Kremlin has denied its involvement.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt previously pledged on Friday to file a law that made it easier for police to ask the military to shoot down an unmanned plane (drone).