Drone alert disrupts air traffic: Graz flights affected by chaos at Munich airport
Munich Airport experienced chaos on Saturday morning after several drones were spotted near the runways, forcing authorities to temporarily suspend all flights. This sudden halt affected not only flights within Germany but also extended its impact to Austria.
According to ORF reports, several drones were spotted flying around the airport area, prompting officials to issue an immediate order to halt all takeoffs and landings. This incident followed a similar occurrence on Friday evening, when drones were observed near the runways just before eleven o'clock at night, raising security concerns and leading to a temporary suspension of air operations.
The effects of the disruption quickly appeared in Styria, where Graz Airport was directly affected. The flight to Munich scheduled for 10:00 AM was canceled, and the plane coming from Germany scheduled for 9:20 AM did not land. Many travelers had to change their plans at the last minute or wait to book later flights.
After hours of confusion, Munich Airport announced the resumption of air operations around noon, with delays averaging about two hours. Security teams continued to closely monitor the airspace to ensure safe conditions before allowing planes to take off and land again.
As for travelers between Graz and Munich, schedules have gradually returned to normal in the afternoon. Flights departed from Graz at 1:15 PM and 4:55 PM, and flights arriving from Germany landed at 12:35 PM and 4:15 PM as planned. Despite the situation stabilizing, authorities have not yet identified the source of the drones that caused disruption to one of the busiest air travel routes in Europe.