Drones flying near major airports or aircraft are creating a growing risk to air traffic in Germany, the German Air Safety Service (DFS) reported.
The number of dangerous incidents involving drones entering aircraft flight paths in German airspace is steadily increasing. According to DFS, by the end of November this year, 208 dangerous interventions affecting air traffic were recorded, compared to 149 incidents in the same period last year. This has also surpassed the previous annual record of 161 incidents in 2024.
DFS generally only records cases where drones come dangerously close to civilian aircraft or airports. When drones are spotted in restricted areas, major airports suspend flights. In most cases, it remains unclear who is operating the drones. Besides inexperienced operators, authorities increasingly suspect that drones flying near airports may be used by intelligence services or terrorists.
Most Drones Detected Near Major Airports
Almost three-quarters (74%) of drones were detected near major airports. A significant increase was noted at Germany’s largest airport in Frankfurt, where 45 dangerous drone flight incidents were recorded over the past eleven months, compared to just 17 in the same period last year.
Frequent drone alerts were also reported at Cologne/Bonn Airport (14 incidents), Hamburg (13), and Munich (12). At Berlin’s main airport, which saw a high number of drone incidents last year, only eight cases were reported this year.
In Germany, drones are prohibited from flying closer than 1.5 km to runways where aircraft take off or land. Violating this rule can result in prison sentences of up to 10 years.
—DW
