Drone temporarily halts flight operations at small German airport

Erfurt-Weimar Airport in central Germany was temporarily closed to flight operations early on Wednesday due to a suspicious drone.

The German Federal Police spotted the drone shortly after midnight, airport spokesman Hans-Holm Bühl said. He added that flight operations were suspended for just over an hour for safety reasons.

The measure affected a plane approaching from Antalya, Turkey, which was initially due to be diverted to Cologne before landing in Erfurt with a three-hour delay.

The departure of another aircraft to Antalya was delayed by around 20 minutes in Erfurt. According to Bühl, there was no danger to passengers at any time.

Federal and state police have launched a search for the drone pilot and are investigating the case.

The number of disruptions caused by drones at German airports has increased significantly in recent years. At the beginning of October, drones of unknown origin disrupted flight operations at Munich airport, Germany’s second-largest.