German police deployed a bomb disposal robot at Leipzig/Halle Airport after a drone carrying explosives was found at the airfield, an incident that forced several flights to be diverted and prompted a counter-terrorism investigation.
The drone was discovered at the airport overnight, close to a runway and near a cargo jet. Bomb disposal experts, working with the robot, examined the unmanned aircraft and removed a detonator from the device, according to reports. The drone was described as carrying explosives, and the discovery was treated as a serious security alert that caused alarm among airport authorities.
Bomb disposal robots are remotely operated machines that allow police to inspect suspect devices from a safe distance. Their use at Leipzig/Halle pointed to the danger posed by the drone and the explosives found on it. It was not clear how long the device had been at the airport or how it had been brought there.
The security operation caused significant disruption to flight movements. Several flights were redirected away from Leipzig/Halle while the investigation was under way, and the airport saw its flight operations affected overnight. The decision to deploy a bomb disposal robot underscored the seriousness of the find.
During the disruption, a DHL cargo plane that had been forced to abort its landing at the airport collided with an unknown object. The aircraft was able to land safely at a different location. Authorities did not immediately disclose what the object was, and it was not clear whether the incident was connected to the drone.
The airport, which serves the eastern German cities of Leipzig and Halle, was the focus of a counter-terrorism inquiry. Investigators were reported to be examining the drone and the explosives attached to it, while police worked to establish how the device came to be at the airport and what its intended target was.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the drone, and no further details were released about possible suspects or a motive. The discovery set off alarm across the airport and prompted an overnight response from security services, according to reports.
The investigation was continuing as authorities sought to piece together the sequence of events, including the aborted landing and the collision involving the DHL aircraft. The case has once again focused attention on the danger that drones can pose to civil aviation when they enter restricted airspace, and on the measures needed to protect airports from such threats.
