Hanover Airport disrupted by drone week after Leipzig explosives find

Hanover Airport in Germany experienced disruptions overnight due to a drone, according to police on Tuesday. This incident occurred just a week after an explosives-laden drone was discovered at Leipzig Airport. The Hanover Central Criminal Investigation Department is now leading the investigation into the Hanover drone incident, as reported by AFP.

Runways at the airport, situated north of Hanover, were closed for 90 minutes early Tuesday morning before returning to normal operations. Six flights, including departures to Turkey, Egypt, Greece, and Spain, were delayed by 15 to 50 minutes, with a cargo plane from Paris diverted to Nuremberg Airport. The Der Spiegel weekly first reported the incident, citing an internal police report that considered the possibility of a hybrid activity, which remains unconfirmed.

German authorities define hybrid attacks as encompassing sabotage, espionage, and propaganda operations, which have risen since the war in Ukraine began, and are primarily associated with Russia. However, there is currently no definitive link between the Hanover drone incident and the explosive drone found at Leipzig Airport. Following the Leipzig event, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt cautioned of a new dimension of threat and referenced a potential hybrid attack scenario without assigning blame.

Germany has become Ukraine's primary military supporter in Europe since the 2022 Russian attack. Over 1,000 drones have been detected since the start of the World Cup, as reported by the FBI. Flights were temporarily suspended at Munich Airport following a reported drone sighting, and the UK issued a stern warning about a Russian ship entering British waters. Another German airport also halted flights after a drone sighting.