Flights were briefly halted starting late Thursday at Munich Airport after drones were spotted nearby, the airport said, making Germany the latest European country that has had to pause air travel in recent weeks after drone sightings.
The drone activity, first spotted at 10:18 p.m. local time, caused 17 flights to be unable to take off from Munich, affecting nearly 3,000 travelers, according to a statement from the airport. Fifteen inbound flights were redirected to Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Vienna and Frankfurt, the airport said.
“When a drone is sighted, the safety of travelers is the top priority,” the airport said in the statement.
Flights resumed on Friday morning, with the first flight departing shortly after 6 a.m., according to the flight tracking service FlightAware.
Last week, several airports in Denmark and Norway were closed after drones were spotted, which leaders in Denmark characterized as an effort to sow fear in the country. European leaders, already on high alert because of recent incursions by Russian aircraft in the airspace of Poland, Estonia and Romania, have said Russia is responsible for the recent drone incursions, an accusation Russia denies.
The passengers in Munich whose flights were grounded were given beds, blankets, drinks and snacks, the airport said.
Daniel Victor is a senior editor at The Times on the Live team, which covers breaking and developing news.
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