Munich Airport, one of Europe’s busiest travel hubs, was thrown into chaos late on October 2, 2025, after a string of mysterious drone sightings forced authorities to halt all air traffic for several hours. The sudden shutdown, which lasted from shortly after 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. the following morning, left nearly 3,000 passengers stranded, upended flight schedules, and raised fresh alarms about the growing threat of drone incursions across the European Union.
According to the Associated Press, Germany’s air traffic control first restricted, then completely stopped flights into and out of Munich Airport after multiple reports of drones in the area. Seventeen flights scheduled to depart were unable to take off, while 15 incoming flights were diverted to other German airports and to Vienna, Austria. The airport’s website later showed some departures resuming early Friday, but the disruption had already rippled far beyond Bavaria.
For hundreds of travelers, the night was long and uncomfortable. Many found themselves sleeping on cots hastily set up in the terminals, while others were transported to nearby hotels. Airport staff and airlines provided blankets, drinks, and snacks, according to German news agency dpa, but the uncertainty lingered. As one stranded passenger told reporters, “We just want to know what’s going on and when we can get home.”
Federal police quickly launched an investigation, deploying helicopters and other means to track down the drones. Yet, as Stefan Bayer, spokesperson for Germany’s federal police at Munich Airport, told the Associated Press, “No signs of the drones could be found.” Bayer added that the authorities had not determined who was responsible for the overflights, and that police, airline employees, and “regular people around the airport” were among those who reported the sightings.
The incident in Munich is far from isolated. Over the past year, airports and critical infrastructure sites across the EU have reported a spate of drone incursions, often shrouded in mystery. Just hours after the Munich shutdown, Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken told Le Soir newspaper that several drones had been spotted above the Elsenborn military base near the German border. Belgian public broadcaster VRT reported that as many as 15 drones were seen near the base, which serves as an army training facility. Francken described the flights as “suspicious and unknown,” and said a defense ministry investigation was underway.
Norway, a NATO member but not part of the EU, experienced its own drone incident in Oslo late last month, which affected flights and underscored the cross-border nature of the threat. In Denmark, drones have temporarily shut down airports—including Copenhagen, Scandinavia’s busiest—while targeting bases that host advanced fighter jets such as the F-16 and F-35, according to airport and defense officials cited by AP and other outlets.
With each new incident, speculation swirls about who might be behind the flyovers. European authorities have not ruled out the possibility that Russia could be orchestrating the incursions, especially given the heightened tensions over the war in Ukraine and recent reports of Russian drones entering Polish airspace. Last month, officials in Russia and its close ally Belarus acknowledged that some drones used in the Ukraine conflict had strayed into Poland, prompting a scramble by Polish and NATO forces to shoot them down.
Yet, as Hans-Christian Mathiesen, vice president of defense programs at Danish drone manufacturer Sky-Watch, told the Associated Press, the reality may be far more complex. “It could be anybody,” Mathiesen said. “If you have a drone, you can always fly it into restricted airspace and disrupt activity. So everything from boys not thinking about what they’re doing—just fooling around—to someone that is doing it with a purpose: criminal organizations, state actors, you name it.” He added that a state actor could disrupt activities and examine responses “with a minimal level of effort.”
Russia, for its part, has repeatedly denied involvement in the recent drone incidents, including those in Denmark and Germany. In one high-profile case, French authorities detained a Russia-linked oil tanker suspected of launching drones over Denmark. However, after a thorough search by French Navy commandos found no drones or launch equipment on board, the ship—now known as “Pushpa” or “Boracay”—was released and set sail for the Suez Canal, according to an official with knowledge of the investigation who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.
For passengers, the technical and geopolitical intrigue offered little comfort. Many spent hours rebooking flights or waiting for updates as airport authorities worked to restore normal operations. Munich Airport emphasized in a statement that “the safety of travelers is the top priority,” and explained that responsibility for detecting and countering drones lies with both federal and state police. The airport added that police and air traffic control have long-established reporting chains to manage such incidents, but the events of October 2-3 revealed just how disruptive even a handful of drones can be.
The wider implications of these recurring drone incursions are not lost on European leaders. At a summit of EU and European heads of state in Copenhagen this week, the threat posed by drones was a major focus. According to AP and other sources, authorities pledged to expand countermeasures and improve coordination among member states. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt announced plans to discuss a “drone detection and defense plan” with his European counterparts in Munich over the weekend. “We are in a race between drone threat and drone defense. We want to and must win this race,” Dobrindt said during a ceremony marking the 35th anniversary of Germany’s reunification.
As airports, military bases, and governments across Europe scramble to adapt, the Munich incident stands as a stark reminder: the skies are no longer the exclusive domain of pilots and planes. With commercial drones becoming ever more accessible, and the lines between mischief and malice increasingly blurred, the question of how to keep airspace safe is only growing more urgent. For now, passengers and officials alike can only hope that the next drone sighting won’t bring another night of uncertainty and disruption.
