A drone was recorded 28 times in half a year at Berlin airport
Flights at Berlin Brandenburg Airport were completely suspended for 45 minutes on the evening of September 23 due to the detection of a drone. For safety reasons, both of the airport's runways were temporarily closed.
Drone recorded for the 28th time in half a year at Berlin airport
According to DW, the dpa agency reported this, citing representatives of the airport and the German Federal Police.
The drone was detected at approximately 20:00 local time. Following this, the German air traffic control service — Deutsche Flugsicherung (DFS) — closed the northern runway.
At 20:20, the southern runway was also closed, and flights at the airport were completely suspended. Both runways were reopened at 21:05.
### 28 cases recorded in half a year
According to DFS data, 28 cases of drone detection were recorded at Berlin-Brandenburg Airport in the first six months of the year. This is the highest figure among German airports, one more than at the country's largest airport, Frankfurt am Main.
In seven of these cases, air traffic at Berlin-Brandenburg Airport had to be temporarily suspended. For comparison, a total of eight drones were detected at the airport and its adjacent areas during the whole of 2025.
### Reports mostly come from pilots
Most reports about drones come from pilots of aircraft taking off or preparing to land, as well as from observers in control towers.
Starting this year, special systems designed to detect unmanned aerial vehicles, operated by the federal police, are also being used.
Frequent drone warnings have also been recorded at Cologne/Bonn, Hamburg, and Munich airports.
According to DW, German law prohibits the use of drones within a 1.5-kilometer radius around take-off and landing areas. Such a violation is assessed as dangerous interference with air traffic and can lead to a prison sentence of up to ten years.