Lyce · Hybrid Watch

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Drone sighting forces nearly two-hour suspension of flight operations at Berlin Brandenburg Airport.

On the evening of 31 October 2025, flight operations at Berlin Brandenburg Airport were suspended after an unidentified drone was reported in the vicinity of the airport. At around 20:00, a witness alerted police to the object, prompting authorities to close the northern runway and begin a search. Police officers travelling in a patrol vehicle subsequently observed a drone themselves, strengthening the evidentiary basis beyond a single civilian report, although they were unable to determine where it had come from or locate it after the sighting. German air-traffic authorities suspended take-offs and landings between 20:08 and 21:58, producing delays and diversions to other German airports. Flights scheduled to depart for destinations including Basel, Oslo and Barcelona were held, while inbound services from London, Stockholm, Antalya and Helsinki were among those diverted. A police helicopter and additional law-enforcement personnel were deployed during the search, and Berlin’s normal nighttime operating restrictions were relaxed afterward to help clear the resulting disruption.

Occurrence
2025-10-31
Publication
2025-10-31
First observed
2026-10-18T10:30:14.759Z
Review status
Not assessed
Countries
DE
Updated
2026-10-18T10:30:14.759Z

Attribution

Pattern-compatible

Facts

No facts

Sources

  1. Role
    discovery_lead
    Date
    2025-10-31T00:13:02Z

    On the evening of 31 October 2025, flight operations at Berlin Brandenburg Airport were suspended after an unidentified drone was reported in the vicinity of the airport. At around 20:00, a witness alerted police to the object, prompting authorities to close the northern runway and begin a search. Police officers travelling in a patrol vehicle subsequently observed a drone themselves, strengthening the evidentiary basis beyond a single civilian report, although they were unable to determine where it had come from or locate it after the sighting. German air-traffic authorities suspended take-offs and landings between 20:08 and 21:58, producing delays and diversions to other German airports. Flights scheduled to depart for destinations including Basel, Oslo and Barcelona were held, while inbound services from London, Stockholm, Antalya and Helsinki were among those diverted. A police helicopter and additional law-enforcement personnel were deployed during the search, and Berlin’s normal nighttime operating restrictions were relaxed afterward to help clear the resulting disruption.