The morning of Thursday, May 9, Germany’s Frankfurt Airport was shut down for almost an hour after a drone sighting, according to digital news publisher The Local.
The drone, which The Local reports had a 1.5-m diameter, was seen flying over the southern region of the airport. During the hour-long timeframe before the area was cleared, no take-offs or landings could occur.
As a result, 143 take-offs and landings were cancelled. Even more, 48 already-flying aircraft were diverted to different airports.
Back in March, Frankfurt Airport had another run in with drones, suspending operations for 29 minutes.
Dubai International Airport and Ireland’s Dublin Airport suspended flights after suspected drone activity in February. And notably, London’s Gatwick drones caused delays for more than 100,000 people last Christmas season. In response, the U.K.’s Department for Transport extended the drone “no-fly” zone from 1 km to 5 km around airport runways, effective March 13.
In early 2019, the drone vs airport battle hit Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. All departing and incoming flights were grounded in response to a drone flying within 30 ft of an aircraft.
