Luxembourg Investigates Unknown Drone Flights That Forced Its Airport to Suspend Flights

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Luxembourg authorities have opened an investigation after unidentified and unauthorized drones were spotted in the airspace of the country's main airport, leading to a temporary suspension of flight operations and the diversion of flights to other airports, amid efforts to determine the source and nature of the drones.

The Luxembourg government said today, Saturday, that flight operations were temporarily suspended on Friday night "following the sighting of unidentified and unauthorized drones in the airspace over Findel."

Prime Minister Lux Frieden explained that the country is facing "a new situation for Luxembourg," represented by the presence of "potentially larger drones" in the country's airspace.

He stated that drones have been spotted in Luxembourg's airspace over the past few days, prompting authorities to take precautionary measures and suspend flight operations, adding that it is still too early to determine their source.

Frieden added in a press conference: "We are working to analyze the situation," pointing out that Luxembourg is cooperating with its allies in NATO regarding the incident.

Luxembourg Airport reported that unauthorized drones were spotted in its vicinity and then above its runway, and that the suspension of flights was a "precautionary measure to ensure the safety of passengers, airline crews, airport staff, and aircraft."

The government stated that airport operations resumed at around 1:20 AM local time after being temporarily suspended.

It noted that a total of 19 flights were diverted to other airports, while the national airline "Luxair" mentioned that more than 1,800 passengers were affected by the flight suspension, and that 17 flights scheduled to land at Luxembourg Airport were redirected to other airports, including Brussels, Paris, and Frankfurt.

Luxair stated that it is working closely with the airport, relevant authorities, and partner entities to assist affected passengers and restore its flight schedule to normal, warning of the possibility of continued disruptions and repercussions after operations resumed on Saturday.

Frieden held an emergency meeting with several ministers and relevant authorities to discuss developments, and the "Joint Ministerial Evaluation Unit concerned with drones" also met to assess the situation.

The government stated that "the information available at this stage does not allow for definitive conclusions," adding that the authorities continue to analyze the information collected and conduct necessary tests in close cooperation with Luxembourg's international partners.

Frieden pointed out that monitoring drones is "a new matter for Luxembourg, but not entirely new for neighboring countries," amid increasing European concerns about drone flights over sensitive sites, airspace violations, and cyberattacks since the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine in 2022.

Unauthorized drones were spotted over sensitive sites in Belgium and Denmark last year, and this year a drone loaded with explosives was discovered at a German airport, with Berlin pointing fingers at Moscow.

Frieden said: "We will ensure, with our partners, that we can guarantee the security of our people."