The runways and landings were closed at Munich Airport for the second time in 24 hours. The reason was the arrival on Friday, October 3rd, around 23 hours of 2 unidentified drones. Previously, a drone was spotted over a close military facility.
Around 7:00 a.m., the air operations were resumed, and airport capacity is gradually increased," reported the port spokesperson. However, travellers should anticipate delays during the day. The airport spokesperson recommends passengers to check their flight position with the applicable airlines before travelling. According to the "Bild" log, a police chopper was sent over the airport on Saturday, which monitors the situation in advance.
Thousands are stuck at the airport.
According to the airport, the last flight cancellations affected about 6,500 travelers. Many must have spent the night at the airport. "Field beds are set up, blankets, drinks and snacks are provided," the airport website states.
According to the airport operator, 23 arriving aircraft were diverted at night to another airports and 12 more cancelled. 46 scheduled launches could not take place – the spokesperson informed.
The drones of unknown origin disrupted air operations in Munich as early as Thursday evening and Friday night. Many flights were cancelled or diverted to neighboring airports specified as Nuremberg or Stuttgart. About 3,000 passengers were injured. Hundreds of people had to spend the night on field beds set up in terminals.
Request for more police powers
Due to another incidental involving drones, German politicians want to guarantee better airport security. 'We urgently request an efficient defence strategy against drones', said German press agency DPA Herbert Reul (CDU). "Our safety services must become more efficient and modern".
Reul stated that it was impossible to give an unambiguous answer to the question whether the drone should be shot down. In the event of a possible shooting down, it is crucial that the measures are "legally justified, proportionate and technically effective". The Bavarian Minister of Interior, Joachim Herrmann, wants the Land Police to have the right to shoot down drones in case of doubt.
"We want to importantly grow the legal capacity of the Bavarian police so that it can take immediate and effective action against drones," he said.
Imitaters Excluded
It's inactive unclear who's behind the drones. On Thursday, October 2, Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder placed the Munich incidental in 1 row with another drone observations in Europe. "It was not an isolated incident," said CSU leader in an interview with Welt TV. "This is the safety situation we're in."
On the another hand, the Minister of the Interior of North Rhine-Westphalia Herbert Reul did not regulation out copycats behind the incidents. "I'm certain not all drone is controlled by the Kremlin, but everyone works in Putin's favor," said CDU politician. "Anyone who carelessly flies a drone should know this". However, he appealed for peace: "The origin of uncertainty is precisely the goal that Russia is aiming at, for example, by taking specified action."
