Air traffic at Munich airport was thrown into disarray once again as both runways were closed on Friday evening following renewed drone sightings- marking the second such shutdown in less than a day.
The incident forced dozens of flights to be diverted or cancelled, leaving nearly 6,500 passengers stranded.
In an early statement on Saturday, the airport authority announced that the scheduled 5am. opening had been postponed after further reports of drones in the vicinity. Passengers were urged to remain in contact with their airlines for updates, reports Reuters.
“German air traffic control restricted flight operations at Munich Airport as a precautionary measure due to unconfirmed drone sightings and suspended them until further notice,” a statement on the airport website read.
The disruption resulted in 23 flights being rerouted, while 12 arrivals and 48 departures were either cancelled or delayed. Airport officials said affected travelers were provided with beds, blankets, food, and drinks overnight.
On Thursday evening, a London-bound pilot told passengers that take-off was cancelled after drones were reportedly spotted near the runways, prompting police helicopters to patrol the area. The airport confirmed that incoming flights began diverting from 8:35pm local time (1835 GMT).
Drone sightings had already caused significant disruption the previous night, leading to temporary closure of the airport for several hours.
The latest incidents add to a series of similar disruptions across Europe in recent weeks, with some authorities suggesting Russian involvement- a claim Kremlin has dismissed.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said earlier on Friday that his ministry is moving to fast-track legislation, which would allow the police to call in the military to shoot down drones in such cases.
