BER Airport Operations Halted Twice Due to Unidentified Flying Objects
Berlin, March 11 – Flight operations at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) in Schönefeld were temporarily suspended twice on Wednesday evening. The reason for the interruptions was the sighting of unidentified flying objects over the airport premises. Each suspension lasted for about half an hour, leading to temporary halts in both takeoffs and landings.
First Incident: Suspected Drone Sighting
The first incident occurred earlier in the evening when an unidentified flying object was spotted over the airport grounds. A spokesperson for BER confirmed the temporary halt in flight operations to rbb. The Federal Police also stated that air traffic control suspected the presence of a drone. However, a subsequent search of the area yielded no findings.
A spokesperson for the airport informed AFP news agency that, for safety reasons, neither takeoffs nor landings were permitted on either runway for approximately half an hour. The unidentified object was reportedly sighted near the Bundeswehr helicopter hangar.
Second Incident: Renewed Suspicion and Safety Check
Around 9:00 PM, an airport security employee on the external premises of the airport again reported a suspected sighting. This led to a second temporary suspension of flight operations for a safety check, as a Federal Police spokesperson told rbb|24 late Wednesday evening. Despite the renewed suspension, no flying object was detected during the subsequent search. Flight operations resumed around 9:30 PM.
The airport spokesperson clarified that the suspension of flight operations in such circumstances is a standard procedure. As there were no further sightings after the second incident, an all-clear was given, the BER spokesperson told rbb.
Previous Drone Sightings at Airports
In recent months, there have been repeated drone sightings at German and European airports. In some instances, flight operations have been interrupted for several hours for safety reasons, highlighting the growing concern over unauthorized drone activity near airports.
This incident at BER Airport underscores the ongoing challenges faced by airport authorities in ensuring the safety and security of air travel in the face of evolving threats from unidentified flying objects.
Source: rbb24, rbb Brandenburg
