On the evening of September 23, Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) completely suspended operations for 45 minutes after a drone was reported. Several aircraft were diverted during the restrictions, and delays followed after operations resumed.
This was reported by Berliner Zeitung.
At around 8:00 p.m., several airport employees reported seeing an unidentified drone. Germany’s air traffic control service then initially closed the northern runway to take-offs and landings.
At 8:20 p.m., the southern runway was also closed. After that, air traffic at BER came to a complete standstill.
At 9:05 p.m., the restrictions were lifted and aircraft were again allowed to take off and land. Both runways were closed simultaneously for 45 minutes.
The restrictions caused delays, while several aircraft bound for Berlin were diverted. The exact number of flights affected by the incident had not yet been given that evening.
The search for the drone was unsuccessful. It also remained unclear what type of aircraft airport employees had seen. As of the morning of September 24, police had provided no further information. It was also not known who may have been operating the drone.
According to Germany’s air traffic control service, 28 drone sightings were recorded in the BER area in the first half of 2026 — more than at any other airport in Germany. Frankfurt Airport recorded 27 such cases over the same period.
In seven cases, flights at BER had to be temporarily suspended because of drones. By comparison, eight drones were recorded at BER and in the surrounding area during the whole of 2025.
A previous incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport also drew attention after a drone carrying explosives was found near Ukrainian cargo aircraft. The German government blames Russia for the attempted attack, which Moscow denies.
