Drones halt flights at BER for 45 minutes
A reported drone over BER airport led to diverted flights and the temporary closure of both runways on Wednesday evening.
Air traffic at Berlin Brandenburg Airport was halted for about 45 minutes on Wednesday evening after a drone was reported. Police did not find the device; its origin and type remain unknown.
Several airport employees reported a drone near the northern runway at around 20.00. That runway was closed first, followed by the southern runway at 20.20. As a result, no aircraft could land or take off temporarily.
According to the airport and the Bundespolizei, the closure was lifted at 21.05. At least two arriving aircraft were diverted. A full tally of delays and cancelled flights was not yet available later that evening.
The Bundespolizei searched the area but found no drone. It was also not established what type of drone was supposedly seen. It therefore remains unclear whether it was a remotely piloted device, a mistake or another observation.
The incident fits a pattern of reports around BER. According to figures from German air traffic control, 28 drones were recorded there in the first six months of 2026, more than at any other German airport. Frankfurt followed with 27 reports.
A drone-related airspace closure is a safety measure: when there is uncertainty about a device’s position, take-offs and landings are temporarily halted. This protects aircraft during critical phases of flight, but can quickly affect connections, crews and the rest of the timetable.
The authorities have given no indication of intent, sabotage or a connection with earlier incidents. The investigation is initially focusing on whether the sighting can be confirmed and who was operating the device. Until then, the main certainty is that air traffic was completely interrupted for a short time.
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The core facts are reported by the airport, the Bundespolizei and rbb. The text explicitly attributes unconfirmed details and draws no conclusion about intent.
- confirmed Air traffic at BER was halted for about 45 minutes. — rbb and Berliner Zeitung report that both runways were closed between 20.20 and 21.05. source
- confirmed At least two aircraft were diverted. — rbb reports at least two diverted aircraft. source
- confirmed Police found no drone. — rbb reports that the Bundespolizei found no drone. source
- confirmed In the first six months of 2026, 28 drones were reported at BER. — The figures were provided to rbb by German air traffic control. source
Editor's note
The temporary closure, its duration and the diversions were confirmed by the airport and the Bundespolizei. The drone itself was not found; its cause, type and operator are unknown.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- De Telegraaf — „drone berlijn”
- AD — „drone berlijn”
- de Volkskrant — „drone berlijn”