Chaos at Munich Airport: Drone alarm messes up flights!

Chaos at Munich Airport: Drone alarm messes up flights!

Today the Munich Airport again experienced a chaotic night, triggered by drone sightings that confused air traffic. How Focus reports, passengers came up with incomprehension when their flight from Lisbon to Munich was redirected to Vienna due to a drone alarm. The ex-government spokesman Béla Anda was one of those affected, and the flight landed in the Austrian capital shortly before midnight. All hotels were fully booked at the time, which did not make the situation better.

The reason for the diversion was to block the starting and landingways at Munich Airport. At 9:36 p.m., both lanes were blocked because of the viewing of two drones. They quickly flew away, but the consequences were devastating: 23 arriving flights had to be redirected, 12 flights were canceled and 46 planned starts were canceled. A total of around 6,500 passengers were affected, many of them spent the night at the airport.

The passengers in Vienna had the opportunity to get out, which some did. However, many were desperate because they had connecting flights in Munich. About a third of the travelers decided to fly back to Lisbon and then travel to Munich the next day. Loud Daily show could not be brought to the goal as usual and were rather sent to Lisbon in order to be brought to Munich later.

The dangers of drones

The incidents in Munich Airport are not isolated. In 2025, 144 impairments by drones were registered, a clear increase compared to the 113 occurrences in the previous year. The German air traffic control (DFS) already recorded 6 sightings in Munich and 35 in Frankfurt by August 2025. These disorders are part of a growing problem at German commercial airports, where drone hits on line machines can be a serious danger.

Experts suspect that unauthorized drone flights are carried out by unscrupulous pilots, but enemy actors could also be behind some sightings. The defense is a difficult undertaking, and responsibility is not with the airports, but with the police. Accordingly, the ADV airport association calls for a clear legal framework and state-financed technologies to ward out drones in order to ensure the security in the airspace, such as Tagesspiegel.

Political reactions

The political decision -makers are concerned about developments and discuss measures to better protect airports. Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt plans to use the Bundeswehr to support drones and to introduce a new Air Security Act. Dobrindt emphasizes the need for close cooperation between the federal and state governments to strengthen drone defense.

Today's episode clearly shows that security in the airspace is still a explosive topic. What remains are travelers who have to sit on their flights with a feeling of uncertainty and ask themselves when and where the next drone appears.