The Bavarian capital is now part of a growing list of EU airfields affected by unmanned aircraft reports in the last month, including 17 canceled journeys, fifteen rerouted, and thousands of passengers facing disruption to their itineraries overnight.
Several people stated spotting unmanned aircraft in the vicinity of the airfield, with a additional report later confirmed in the restricted zone, forcing aviation authorities to halt activities pending investigation.
It remains unknown the quantity of, or what kind, drones were engaged.
The disruption happens right before the final days of the Oktoberfest beer festival, which had earlier encountered issues in recent days due to a reported danger in the metropolis.
The German air navigation service, the national aviation control body in charge of the nation’s skies, reported in the past few days that drone sightings near aviation hubs are increasing, with 144 incidents so far in this year, compared with 113 in 2024, and 99 in 2023.
Anticipate the observations and the associated disruption to reignite the conversation about Europe’s air defences, shortly after the EU leaders’ meeting in Copenhagen highlighted certain disputes – mostly along territorial boundaries – about the newly proposed “UAV barrier” initiative.
It’s October 3, 2025, a Friday, and we bring you the latest from Europe.
Main Highlights
- The Bavarian aviation hub experienced major flight cancellations due to UAV reports.
- Seventeen flights were called off, and several more were sent elsewhere.
- Many individuals dealt with delays overnight.
- The incident happened shortly before the final weekend of Oktoberfest.
- Drone sightings near the nation’s airfields have been rising in the last period.
- The incidents are anticipated to fuel discussions on EU air defence and the planned “UAV barrier” project.
