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Berlin Brandenburg Airport suspends flights after drone sighting

Airspace closed for 45 minutes Wednesday after drone spotted on northern runway; at least five flights diverted.

newest coverage 6h agosummary written 4h ago5 pieces87 likes & upvotes2 comments NewswiresXReddit

What to know

  • Berlin Brandenburg Airport suspended operations for 45 minutes Wednesday evening after a drone was spotted on the northern runway; airspace reopened at 9:05 p.m. and flights resumed with delays.
  • At least five flights were diverted to Dresden and Leipzig during the closure; authorities could not immediately determine whether the drone was a hobby aircraft, deliberate intrusion, or other object.
  • The airport recorded 28 drone sightings in the first half of 2026 alone—a threefold jump from eight total sightings in all of 2025—making it Germany's most drone-plagued airport.

Berlin Brandenburg Airport authorities Airport operatorGermany's DFS (air traffic control agency) Air navigation authorityGerman federal police Law enforcement

Berlin Brandenburg Airport suspends flights after drone sighting
x.com

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

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  1. 2

    Airport reopens airspace; flights resume with delays and diversions

    Airspace was reopened at 9:05 p.m., allowing flights to resume. At least five flights were diverted to alternative airports in Dresden and Leipzig during the closure.

    “At 8 pm (1800GMT) there was a drone sighting on the north runway of the airport. At 8:20 pm the airspace over the airport was closed.”
    — Airport spokesperson, Berlin Brandenburg Airport · source
  2. background

    Airport closes airspace and suspends all flight operations — Airspace over the airport was closed at 8:20 p.m., resulting in suspension of all flight operations. Both the northern and southern runways were closed by Germany's air traffic control agency DFS.

  3. 1

    Drone spotted on Berlin Brandenburg Airport's northern runway

    A drone was sighted on the northern runway at Berlin Brandenburg Airport at 8:00 p.m. local time (1800 GMT), prompting immediate response from airport authorities.

    “At 8 pm (1800GMT) there was a drone sighting on the north runway of the airport.”
    — Airport spokesperson

    1. 2 outlets first by Anadolu Agency, 6h ago · also Meduza EN · read ↗

    2. 1 outlet Berlin Airport briefly suspends flights over drone sighting

      first by Deutsche Welle EN, 7h ago

    • 🇩🇪 A drone was spotted near the northern runway of Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) at around 8:00 p.m. prompting authorities to close the airport’s airspace at 8:20 p.m. Flights were halted for at least 45 minutes, with several aircraft diverted to Dresden and Leipzig. The

      @InsiderGeoX7h ago87▲view on X ↗
  4. background

    Berlin Brandenburg leads Germany in drone sightings; surge documented — German air traffic control (DFS) data shows 28 drone sightings at Berlin Brandenburg Airport in the first six months of 2026, with operations suspended in seven of those cases. This represents a dramatic increase from eight sightings recorded for all of 2025.

  5. background

    Authorities unable to confirm drone's origin or intent — Federal police and airport officials stated it remains unclear whether the object was a hobby drone, a deliberate intrusion, or something else. Multiple witnesses reported seeing the drone.