Suspicious Drone Paralyzes Hannover Airport Amid Fears of Hybrid Activity

Air traffic at Hannover Airport was temporarily suspended on the night of August 10 to 11 after a suspicious drone was repeatedly detected near the runway.

Suspension of Air Traffic at Hannover Airport

In the night from Monday to Tuesday, August 10 to 11, traffic at Hannover Airport was temporarily suspended after a suspicious drone was detected nearby. Over the course of just over two hours, airport services repeatedly closed the runway and airspace.

As a result, one cargo plane was diverted to another airport, and some scheduled departures and arrivals were delayed.

Police Suspect Hybrid Activity

Although airport personnel repeatedly saw the unmanned aerial vehicle, police anti-drone systems failed to detect it. Investigators therefore suspect that it was not a standard, commercial model available on the civilian market.

Because critical infrastructure became the target, the police emphasized in an official report that hybrid activity cannot be ruled out.

Connection to Leipzig Airport Incident Unclear

Authorities note that at this stage it is impossible to definitively determine whether the event is connected to the incident at Leipzig Airport a week ago. At that time, services suspended traffic there after finding a drone with a fuse and explosives on the apron, located right next to a Ukrainian Antonov aircraft.

According to the latest findings by German investigators, that machine was intended to intentionally strike the wing of the Ukrainian plane, but the explosive charge did not detonate. On the same night, a cargo aircraft collided with an unidentified object in the Leipzig region and landed in Hannover with minor damage.