Drone sighting at Berlin airport rekindles debate on 'drone wall' initiative

Berlin, Nov 1 (IANS) Flight operations at Berlin Brandenburg Airport were suspended for about two hours on Friday evening following reports of a drone sighting, but the airport has since resumed normal operations, local media reported on Saturday.

The German Press Agency quoted a police spokesperson as saying that at around 8 pm local time (1900 GMT), a witness reported seeing a drone near the airport, prompting the closure of the northern runway. Police officers in patrol vehicles later confirmed the sighting but were unable to locate the device.

The incident caused flight delays and diversions, with departures to Basel, Oslo and Barcelona suspended. Police deployed a helicopter during the operation, and Germany's Federal Aviation Office was also involved, Xinhua news agency reported.

Flights on Saturday resumed as scheduled and were not affected by the incident.

Earlier in October, Munich Airport was closed several times due to suspected drone incursions, affecting more than 100 flights and nearly 10,000 passengers. Similar incidents have also been reported in Denmark, Norway and Poland.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in October that the frequent drone incursions in Europe could be linked to "espionage activities" and attempts to "disrupt public order."

On October 16, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said that ensuring the security of the European Union's (EU) borders and airspace is a shared interest of all member states as some European countries are skeptical of the bloc's "drone wall" initiative.

Budrys made the remarks after meeting with Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze in Vilnius, according to the Baltic News Service (BNS).

The EU aims to have a new system of anti-drone defences partly operational by the end of 2026 and fully functional in 2027.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's initial "drone wall" proposal was met with some skepticism from countries such as Germany, which fear the bloc may be encroaching on NATO's role.

Germany and France are reluctant for the EU executive to take too central a role in military planning, which is a matter for national governments.

Countries in the south of the bloc have also called for the drone initiative to cover not only the EU's eastern nations.

Concerns about counter-drone measures have intensified after Russian aircraft allegedly violated the airspace of NATO members Poland, Estonia, and Romania in recent months, according to BNS.

--IANS

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