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Security Alerts Close Runways at Munich and Evacuate BER Terminal 2

Both incidents were cleared without finding explosives or drones which raises fresh questions about airport vulnerability and the speed of Germany's drone‑defence measures.

Overview

  • At Munich Airport two pilots independently reported a possible drone early Saturday which led authorities to suspend takeoffs and landings for about an hour while police and a helicopter searched the airfield and found nothing.
  • An anonymous phone bomb threat at Berlin Brandenburg Airport forced the land‑side evacuation and closure of Terminal 2 on Thursday night while bomb experts swept the area and reopened it after checks; a criminal investigation into the caller is ongoing.
  • Federal and state police coordinated the responses with the German air navigation service (DFS), deploying bomb squads, ground teams and aerial units to clear both sites before operations resumed.
  • The temporary closures disrupted travel during a busy holiday period with roughly two dozen flights diverted from Munich and dozens of arrivals and departures delayed as airlines and airports managed the backlog.
  • Authorities point to a pattern of recent drone reports that prompted the government to set up a drone‑defence centre and tighten air‑security rules, and officials will review these latest incidents for gaps in detection and response.