Drone sightings disrupt airports. (Representative image)
Earlier this month, traffic at Brussels Airport was disrupted for about 30 minutes after a drone was spotted. Air traffic control operator Skeyes said its drone procedure includes suspending runway traffic until 30 minutes after the last sighting. On September 13, a suspected drone sighting briefly shut Vilnius Airport in Lithuania and prompted Nato to scramble at least one fighter jet. The drone was shot down near the village of Pratkūnai in the Kaišiadorys district, about 100 km west of Vilnius and near the Kaunas Reservoir, Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Center said.
The airport, Luxembourg’s only international airport, said the suspension was imposed as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of passengers, airline crews, airport personnel and aircraft, Reuters reported.
“Flight operations at Luxembourg Airport… have resumed following the temporary suspension… due to the detection of unauthorised unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in the vicinity of and subsequently over the aerodrome,” the airport said in a statement published on its website. some delays and disruptions could continue as airlines and airport partners work to restore normal schedules, the airport said While flight operations have resumed. Luxembourg Airport, the main hub for the country’s flag carrier Luxair, said it was continuing to monitor the situation in coordination with relevant authorities. In a separate incident, Nato fighter jets shot down a drone that entered Lithuanian airspace overnight, officials said. Lithuania’s military said it was the first time a drone had been shot down in the country’s airspace.
The airport did not provide details about the origin of the drones or identify who was operating them. The incident comes amid a series of drone-related disruptions at European airports. The object was later traced to a flock of birds. The incident came less than a day after Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte warned that strikes close to alliance territory would push the bloc to step up support for Ukraine. Authorities did not disclose the drone’s origin or purpose, saying the incident remains under investigation. Drone incursions have repeatedly raised security concerns in Lithuania, which borders Belarus, a close Russian ally, and Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave. Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.
Luxembourg Airport suspended all arrivals and departures on Friday after unauthorised drone activity was detected near and over the airport, disrupting flight operations. Services resumed on Saturday after the temporary shutdown.