Berlin airport pauses flights after suspicious drone sighting
Berlin Brandenburg Airport temporarily halted operations late on Oct. 31 after officials received reports of a suspicious drone near the airfield, prompting flight diversions and a police response.
Airport authorities said operations were suspended at 8:08 p.m. local time and resumed at 9:58 p.m., following eyewitness claims that a drone was seen in the vicinity of the airport. Several incoming flights from European cities were diverted to nearby airports, including Hamburg, though officials did not reveal the exact number affected, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Police opened an investigation to determine who was operating the drone and where it originated. Officers deployed their own drone in an attempt to locate the operator, but the search was unsuccessful. The model and purpose of the drone remain unclear.
The incident adds to a growing series of mysterious drone sightings across Europe in recent months, affecting air traffic in France, Czechia, Germany, Lithuania, Norway, and Denmark. The pattern has raised security concerns among European authorities, with some officials suggesting possible links to Russian intelligence activity, though German police have not yet confirmed any connection.
European airspace has seen multiple incursions linked to Russia this year. In September, Polish forces shot down several Russian drones that entered their territory during an attack on Ukraine, while another Russian drone crossed into Romania days later. Earlier in October, NATO forces intercepted and destroyed two unidentified drones near a military base in southern Estonia.
With airspace security under heightened scrutiny, European leaders have called for stronger measures to deter and respond to drone incursions, including authorizing the downing of unauthorized aircraft when necessary.
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