A drone sighting near Leipzig/Halle Airport on Wednesday forced the diversion of two aircraft, including a holiday flight bound for the German hub. Saxony-Anhalt police linked the drone to private filming activity in Großkugel, close to the airport and inside its restricted zone, while the incident again disrupted operations at one of Germany’s key cargo and passenger airports.
The aircraft affected included an Airbus A320 inbound from Rhodes, which was diverted to Dresden after an approach at low altitude. Police said the drone did not enter airport grounds and posed no threat, but the sighting still triggered precautionary action from air traffic control and airport authorities.
The episode comes less than a month after the earlier drone incident on 4 August, when a drone carrying explosives was found in the airport security area. Leipzig/Halle has since had special drone-detection measures installed, although it remains unclear whether those systems detected the latest sighting. No damage or injuries were reported.