“Hour’s delay means millions in losses”: German airlines urge right to shoot down drones over airports

Spiegel reported the information.

“It annoys me that only now are people realizing the urgency of the drone problem,” Gerber said. “We have been pointing out this problem for ten years.”

Gerber stressed that the detection and neutralization of drones near airports is a matter of national security.

“At civilian airports, the federal police should have the authority to stop drones and, if necessary, shoot them down,” he said. “An hour of downtime always means millions in losses.”

Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt announced that the government is taking steps to strengthen Germany’s drone defense capabilities. Later this year, a special drone defense unit will be created within the federal police, and a joint drone defense center involving federal and state authorities will be launched.

The issue has gained urgency following a series of drone-related incidents in early October.

• On the evening of October 2, unknown drones were spotted near Munich’s airspace, forcing the cancellation of more than a dozen flights. Less than 24 hours later, both of Munich Airport’s runways were closed again due to the reappearance of unidentified drones.