A major airport in Europe is using lasers to both track and chase off drones after sightings forced officials to cancel flights.
According to German newspaper Bild, police equipped with lasers are now stationed around Munich Airport in case the drones return. The lasers can tell authorities how far the drones are from the airport and serve as a warning to operators that the vehicles have crossed into restricted airspace.
Drones have been spotted hovering near and around the airport since Oct. 2. As a precaution, over a dozen flights were canceled that day, and incoming flights were redirected to Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Frankfurt, and Vienna.
The drones reappeared one day later, flying near Munich’s north and south runways, and again on Oct. 4, when about 170 flights were canceled.
Police in Germany are trying to identify the individuals operating the drones.
Drone sightings have triggered delays and cancellations at airports across Europe in recent weeks, including in Denmark, France, Norway, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, and Romania. Elected officials, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, suspect Russia is behind the incursions, probably as retaliation for Europe’s isolation of Russia during its ongoing war with Ukraine. So far, there is no evidence conclusively linking Russia to the drones.
