Berlin airport shuts airspace for 45 minutes after drone sighting

Berlin Brandenburg Airport temporarily closed its airspace on the evening of Sept. 23 after a drone was spotted near the airport’s northern runway.

An airport spokesperson told Bild that the drone was first reported at around 8 p.m. local time. The airspace was closed at 8:20 p.m. and reopened at 9:05 p.m., disrupting operations for about 45 minutes.

Several incoming flights were diverted to Dresden and Leipzig, while departures and arrivals continued with delays after the airspace reopened.

Germany’s Federal Police confirmed that several people had reported seeing a drone at the airport.

The pilot of one flight diverted to Leipzig reportedly told passengers that three drones had been spotted, according to a passenger who spoke to Bild. Authorities have not confirmed that three separate drones were involved.

Another Eurowings flight approaching Berlin aborted its initial landing approach after a drone was reported in its flight path and later landed using a different approach, Bild reported.

The incident comes amid a sharp increase in reports of suspicious drone activity around military sites and critical infrastructure in Germany.

From January through August 2026, German authorities recorded 747 suspicious drone incidents over military facilities and critical infrastructure, according to previously reported government figures.