Flight operations at Berlin Brandenburg Airport were suspended for about 45 minutes on Wednesday evening after a drone sighting near the northern runway forced air traffic control to stop take-offs and landings. The airport then closed the southern runway as well, bringing all operations to a temporary standstill before services resumed with delays.
The incident began around 8:00 p.m. local time, with the northern runway first restricted and the full airfield later closed at 8:20 p.m. Operations restarted at 9:05 p.m. after the airspace was cleared. Airport and federal police personnel confirmed the alert, and no drone was found during the search.
Several arriving flights were diverted during the shutdown, including at least two diversions reported by local media. Delays continued after the airport reopened. The episode adds to BER’s repeated disruption problems tied to drone alerts; dpa-based reports cited 28 drone sightings at the airport in the first half of 2026, with seven operational interruptions.