BERLIN: A security alert at Germany’s Leipzig-Halle Airport forced the diversion of several flights overnight after an unidentified object was detected near the airfield, prompting authorities to deploy a bomb disposal robot and launch an investigation.
German police confirmed on Wednesday that the incident involved at least one unidentified object, but declined to disclose further details while inquiries remain ongoing.
According to police, a flying object was reported near the airport at around 11:40pm local time on Tuesday. As a precaution, a passenger flight arriving from Mallorca and several cargo aircraft bound for Leipzig-Halle were diverted to alternative airports.
Investigators later discovered an object close to the airport’s southern runway and dispatched a bomb disposal robot to examine the scene. Police did not confirm whether the robot neutralised the object or whether it was the same one earlier observed in the vicinity.
Authorities stressed that the incident posed no threat to the general public. While normal airport operations resumed during the early hours of Wednesday, flights continued using only the northern runway as forensic teams searched the affected area for evidence.
Germany’s Bild newspaper reported that the object may have been a drone fitted with a detonator and possibly explosives, allegedly found near a Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft.
The newspaper also claimed that another cargo aircraft later struck an unidentified object while flying approximately six kilometres from Leipzig-Halle Airport before landing safely at Hanover Airport.
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The aircraft sustained minor damage to its nose section. Officials have not confirmed the reported mid-air incident.
The latest security alert comes amid growing concern across Germany and Europe over repeated sightings of drones near airports, military installations and other critical infrastructure.
German authorities have previously said they suspect Russia of being behind several such incidents as part of an alleged campaign involving sabotage, espionage and disinformation. Moscow has consistently rejected those accusations.
Leipzig-Halle Airport has been linked to previous security investigations. In July 2024, a parcel caught fire before it could be loaded onto a DHL cargo aircraft, an incident investigated by German security agencies as a suspected Moscow-linked sabotage attempt.
Separately, last year a Chinese national was convicted of passing information on flight schedules and cargo movements at Leipzig-Halle Airport to an individual accused of spying for Beijing.
Police said the investigation into Wednesday’s incident remains underway and that further details will be released once forensic examinations are completed.
