Leipzig/Halle Airport suspended flight operations during the night following the discovery of an unknown flying object and a suspicious object. The incident caused significant disruptions to cargo traffic at the DHL hub starting around midnight, resulting in delayed planned departures until the early morning hours.
The Leipzig Police Directorate reported that several aircraft, including a passenger plane, were diverted. Flightradar24 data shows a Marabu Airlines passenger plane arriving from Palma de Mallorca initially landed at Nuremberg Airport before reaching Leipzig during the night.
The suspicious object was discovered on the southern runway of Leipzig/Halle Airport and was inspected by the German Federal Police (Bundespolizei). A bomb disposal robot was deployed at the airport, where the object was subsequently secured by the German Federal Police.
Security-relevant incident
— Leipzig Police
Police spokesperson Olaf Hoppe told MDR SACHSEN that the sighting of a drone was the initial reason for the operation. A police spokesperson stated that the connection between the two incidents is being investigated, but there is no acute danger.
Flight operations on the northern runway resumed in the early morning hours, approximately two hours after the disruption began. The southern runway of Leipzig/Halle Airport remains closed for investigations.
Updates
The suspicious object has been identified as a drone equipped with a package containing a detonator, which investigators have classified as a possible explosive device. This drone was located in the immediate vicinity of a Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft, and German Federal Police, using a remote-controlled robot, planned to perform a controlled detonation of the package. Additionally, it was reported that a DHL machine collided with an unknown object shortly after takeoff, resulting in light damage to the aircraft's front and its diversion to Hannover.
Security circles and investigators have identified the suspicious object as a drone equipped with explosives and a detonator, which was spotted near a Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft. A DHL cargo plane collided with an unknown object at an altitude of several hundred meters during a go-around, resulting in light damage to its front and causing it to divert to Hannover. German authorities are now investigating the incident as a possible state security offense and have not ruled out a targeted act of sabotage.
The suspicious object has been identified as a drone carrying a package with a suspected detonator, which investigators have classified as a possible explosive device located near a Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft. A DHL cargo plane collided with an unknown object at an altitude of several hundred meters during a go-around, resulting in light damage to its front and a diversion to Hannover. Authorities are currently investigating the incident as a possible state security offense and are searching for the drone pilot.
The suspicious object has been identified as a drone equipped with a package containing a detonator, which investigators classified as a possible explosive device located near a Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft. Following a collision between a DHL cargo plane and an unknown object at an altitude of several hundred meters, the aircraft sustained light damage to its front and was diverted to Hannover. German authorities are now investigating the incident as a possible state security offense and are searching for the drone pilot.
