The appearance of several drones in the airspace near Luxembourg’s main airport prompted authorities to launch an investigation and temporarily suspend air traffic overnight.
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Flights were briefly suspended after drones were found to be operating without authorization within the airport perimeter. According to the authorities, the decision was taken as a precaution to protect passengers, crews, airport employees and aircraft.
National airline Luxair announced that the disruption affected more than 1,800 passengers. In addition, 17 flights were diverted to other airports, including those in Brussels, Paris and Frankfurt.
Prime Minister Luc Frieden said the country was working with NATO partners to clarify the circumstances surrounding the incident. It occurred at a time of heightened concern in Europe over hybrid threats linked to Russia.
According to Frieden, the presence of “possibly larger drones” has been detected in Luxembourg’s airspace in recent days. However, he stressed that it was still too early to determine where they came from.
“We are analyzing the situation,” the prime minister said at a press conference.
After an emergency meeting with the defense and interior ministers, Frieden said: “This is something new for Luxembourg, but not entirely unprecedented for our neighboring countries.”
European countries have voiced concern over hybrid activities linked to Moscow since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Drones near sensitive sites, airspace violations and cyberattacks have previously been recorded.
Over the past year, drones were spotted over sensitive areas in Belgium and Denmark. This year, meanwhile, a drone carrying explosives was reported at a German airport, an incident for which Berlin has blamed Russia.
