17 flights had to be canceled and affected more than 3,000 passengers during the last days of Oktoberfest; situation was normalized
At least 17 flights were canceled at Munich airport in Germany on the night of Thursday (2.out.2025), because of drones that flew around the surroundings. Another 15 routes were redirected to other cities of the country and also from neighboring Austria. The situation was normalized on the morning of this Friday (3.out).
According to the airport, the drones were detected from 10:18 pm (local time). The cancellations affected about 3,000 passengers, which received beds, blankets and food.
The deflected flights went to cities such as Stuttgart, Nuremberg and Frankfurt, Germany, and Vienna, Austria.
“When a drone is spotted, travelers’ safety is the top priority. Communication chains between air traffic control, the airport and police authorities have been established for years. It is important to emphasize that detection and defense against drones are sovereign tasks and responsibility of the federal and state police”Said Munich airport in.
According to the newspaper, police helicopters and soil patrols were mobilized to try to locate the devices, but the search was unsuccessful.
According to the publication, because of the darkness, it was not possible to estimate the type or size of the drones, nor identify those responsible for the incident. The case occurred in the final moments of Oktoberfest, a beer festival, when passenger traffic is usually more intense, aggravating the effects of the interruption.
The festival began on September 20 and ends on Sunday (5.out). The event had been partially on Wednesday (1.out) to investigate a bomb threat linked to an explosion in the north of the city, which caused at least one death.
