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The Bavarian capital joins a growing group of European aviation hubs disrupted by drone sightings in the last month, involving 17 canceled journeys, fifteen rerouted, and numerous travelers facing disruption to their travel overnight.

Multiple witnesses claimed spotting unmanned aircraft near the aviation facility, with a further observation later confirmed in the protected airspace, obliging air traffic control to halt activities pending inquiry.

It is still unclear the quantity of, or of what type, UAVs were involved.

The disruption comes just before the final days of the annual beer festival gathering, which had earlier encountered problems a few days ago due to a bomb threat in the metropolis.

Germany’s flight safety authority, the German flight management organization overseeing the German airspace, said recently that drone sightings close to aviation hubs are rising, with 144 incidents up to now in the current year, versus 113 the previous year, and 99 in 2023.

Expect the observations and the related issues to reignite the debate about the continent’s aviation security, just after the European Union summit in Copenhagen showed some disagreements – primarily along geographical lines – about the newly proposed “unmanned aircraft defense” plan.

Today is the third of October, 2025, and we bring you Europe Live.

Key Points

• Germany’s second-largest airport encountered significant flight cancellations due to unmanned aircraft observations.
• 17 journeys were grounded, and several more were diverted.
• Numerous travelers dealt with itinerary changes last evening.
• The situation occurred right prior to the final weekend of the famous beer festival.
• Unmanned aircraft reports close to the country’s aviation facilities have been rising in recent years.
• The events are likely to spark debates on EU air defence and the planned “drone wall” initiative.