Nothing works anymore at the airport in Frankfurt. Operation had to be suspended for an hour on Saturday evening, and aircraft were rerouted. The reason was a danger.
- Operations at Frankfurt Airport ceased on Saturday evening.
- Airplanes had to be diverted.
- The reason was a danger.
Frankfurt - Due to a possible danger from a drone , Frankfurt Airport suspended flight operations for around an hour on Saturday evening. A German spokeswoman for the airport operator Fraport told the German press agency that German air traffic control had not approved take-offs and landings for about 60 minutes from around 8.15 p.m. More than 15 aircraft should therefore have been diverted to other airports for landing. Where and by whom the drone was sighted was initially unclear.
Operation at Frankfurt Airport discontinued due to drone: police helicopter in action
The federal police reported on Twitter that the state and federal police are in action. The investigation continued, it was said after the block was lifted. In the meantime, according to Fraport, a police helicopter was also used to search for the alleged drone pilot.
Again and again there are incidents with drones at German airports. In the past year alone, German Air Traffic Control (DFS) had registered 120 such disabilities by the end of November. Therefore, flight operations had to be stopped several times - in Frankfurt around March 25 and May 9, 2019.
Drone at Frankfurt Airport - pilot could be hindered
DFS, based in Langen in southern Hesse, monitors and controls the airspace on behalf of the federal government. She deliberately does not speak of drone sightings, but of disabilities caused by drones, since the pilot of an aircraft could be distracted when taking off or landing. If drones were seen directly on an airport site, this would be assessed as a potential danger for arrivals and departures. Therefore, take-off and landing permits should no longer be issued.
In Germany, drone flights near the take-off and landing areas of airports are prohibited - a distance of at least 1.5 kilometers must be kept. No drones are allowed to rise directly above crowds, hospitals, prisons, authorities, federal highways or rail facilities.
Climate activists had planned to paralyze Heathrow Airport in London with a drone. They were arrested before the operation.