Operations at one of Germany's busiest freight airports were thrown into disarray overnight when staff spotted a drone fitted with an explosive device sitting on the ground, prompting officers to send in a robot to deal with the threat safely.
The discovery was made at Leipzig/Halle Airport, a major cargo gateway in the eastern German state of Saxony, in the part of the site where freight is handled. According to Saxony police, the drone and the explosive it carried were found in the cargo operation area during the night, and a robot was moved in to examine and neutralise the object.
An explosive drone in the freight zone
As soon as the suspicious drone was noticed, a security alert went into effect at the airport. A robot was used so the device could be inspected and made safe without putting staff or passengers at risk. Early indications suggested the drone had come to rest close to a Ukrainian aircraft, although that detail had not been firmly confirmed.
A second object and a diverted plane
Adding to the alarm, officers said a second unidentified object collided with a cargo plane after it had already taken off from the airport. The aircraft was diverted to Hanover, where inspectors detected only minor damage, meaning a far more serious incident was narrowly avoided.
Flights halted, then a partial reopening
Once the drone was detected, all flights at the airport were initially suspended. As the situation was brought under control, one runway was cleared and reopened for use. The airport's second runway was not scheduled to be used on Wednesday in any case, so it remained out of service. That allowed operations to resume, though only on a limited basis.
Key questions still unanswered
For now it is not clear who placed the explosive drone at the site or why, and no individual or group has been identified in connection with it. Taken together, the explosive drone found on the ground and the mysterious object that struck a departing aircraft have raised serious questions about security at the airport. The investigation is continuing and the situation remains fluid, with a clearer picture likely to emerge as further details come to light.
