Drone sighting halts flights at Hannover Airport

Flight operations at Hannover Airport experienced temporary disruptions early Tuesday morning following the sighting of a drone. The runway was repeatedly closed for short periods between shortly before 4:00 AM and approximately 5:20 AM, according to a spokesperson for the airport.

These closures resulted in delays for six tourist passenger flights and the diversion of one cargo plane arriving from Paris. By the morning, however, flight operations had returned to normal, the spokesperson confirmed. The airport has referred inquiries regarding the background of the drone sighting to the Federal Police.

The incident in Hannover occurred just days after a concerning discovery at Leipzig/Halle Airport on August 5th, where a drone equipped with explosives was found. The German Federal Public Prosecutor General's Office has since taken over the investigation into that incident, examining suspicions of attempted explosive detonation and dangerous interference with air traffic.

It remains unclear whether the two drone incidents at Hannover and Leipzig/Halle airports are connected. The Federal Police have not yet commented on the Hannover sighting.