European Skies Under Siege: Drone Sightings Cause Airport Closures

Munich Airport, one of Europe's major aviation hubs, was forced to close for nearly seven hours last night due to drone sightings that disrupted operations and impacted thousands of travelers, CNN reported. The incident led to the grounding of 17 flights and the diversion of incoming planes to alternative airports in Germany and Austria.

Flight tracking services recorded aircraft circling Munich's skies before redirecting elsewhere, resuming normal operations at 5 am. The closure represents another instance in a troubling surge of drone activity affecting European airports, with Poland and Denmark recently encountering similar incidents.

Poland temporarily shut part of its airspace amid Russian military strikes, and Denmark banned civilian drone flights during a critical summit. Tensions are high, with NATO upgrading security measures in response to the perceived threats, while Russia denies any involvement, as noted in remarks by President Putin and Foreign Minister Lavrov.

(With inputs from agencies.)