Darkness had fallen over Berlin, and the usual hum of air travel at Brandenburg Airport abruptly ceased. A single, unsettling report – a drone sighted near the runways – triggered a complete suspension of flights, plunging the capital into an unexpected ground halt.
For nearly two hours, the skies above Berlin remained eerily quiet. Incoming and outgoing flights were halted between 8:08 p.m. and 9:58 p.m., leaving passengers stranded and raising immediate questions about security protocols.
Local police responded swiftly, confirming a witness account of the unauthorized aerial vehicle. Despite an immediate search, the drone itself remained elusive, vanishing into the night. The incident left authorities scrambling for answers and a growing sense of unease.
This wasn’t an isolated event. Across Europe, a wave of drone intrusions has sparked heightened vigilance and a palpable sense of anxiety. September witnessed an unprecedented surge in these incidents, particularly within NATO airspace.
Whispers of deliberate provocation are circulating among European officials, with some suspecting Moscow is testing the alliance’s defenses. The question now isn’t just about identifying the drones, but about assessing NATO’s readiness to respond to a potential escalation.
Just weeks prior, Munich Airport experienced a similar disruption, forced to close twice within a single day due to drone sightings. This pattern of incidents underscores a growing vulnerability and the urgent need for effective countermeasures.
The Berlin incident serves as a stark reminder: the skies, once considered secure, are now subject to a new and unpredictable threat. The search for solutions, and the drone itself, continues.
