Flight operations resume as Munich airport reopens following drone disruption

Munich, Germany: Munich International Airport has reopened after being temporarily shut down Thursday night following multiple drone sightings that disrupted dozens of flights and affected nearly 3,000 passengers, Reuters reported.

A police spokesperson told AFP that drones were spotted around the airport at about 7:30 p.m. GMT Thursday, and again an hour later, prompting the closure of both runways for roughly an hour. Seventeen departing flights were cancelled, while 15 arriving flights were diverted to nearby cities including Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Frankfurt, and Vienna.

Several people spotted drones around the airport at about 1930 GMT Thursday, and again an hour later, leading to the closure of both runways for an hour, a police spokesperson told AFP.

German authorities have launched a search to identify the origin of the drones.

Police helicopters were deployed but "no information is available on the type and number of drones," the spokesperson said.

The incident comes ahead of the final weekend of Germany's Oktoberfest, which draws hundreds of thousands of people every day to Munich.

The annual festival had already closed for half a day on Wednesday after a bomb scare.