Luxembourg authorities opened an investigation on Saturday to determine the source and nature of unidentified, unauthorised drones spotted around the country’s main airport and over its runway. The drones temporarily halted air traffic on Friday night and led to flights being diverted to other airports. Prime Minister Luc Frieden said it was still far too early to determine where they came from.
Flights suspended after drones spotted over Findel
The Luxembourg government said flight operations were temporarily halted after unidentified, unauthorised drones were spotted in the airspace over Findel. It said the suspension was ordered as a precautionary measure related to flight safety. Frieden said the country was facing a new situation involving potentially larger drones in its airspace.
He added that drones had been seen in Luxembourg’s skies in recent days, prompting authorities to suspend flights as a precaution after they were spotted near the airport. The prime minister told a news conference that authorities were analysing the situation and said Luxembourg was co-operating with its NATO allies over the incident.
Authorities cautious about identifying the drones’ source
He stressed that the information currently available did not allow authorities to identify who was behind the drones or draw a final conclusion about their source. Luxembourg Airport said the unauthorised drones first appeared in the vicinity before being spotted over the runway. It said the suspension of operations was a precautionary measure to protect passengers, airline crews, airport staff and aircraft.
It added that it was co-ordinating closely with the airport administration, the relevant authorities and partner organisations to assist affected travellers and restore its flight schedule to normal. Luxair warned that some disruption and operational consequences could continue after flights resumed on Saturday.
Emergency meeting and analysis to determine the nature of the drones
While dealing with the effects of the suspension, Frieden held an emergency meeting with several ministers and relevant authorities to discuss developments. The joint ministerial drone assessment unit also met to assess the situation. The government said the information available at this stage did not permit any final conclusions.
It added that authorities were continuing to examine the information collected and conduct the necessary analyses, in close co-operation with Luxembourg’s international partners, in an effort to determine the nature of the drones and the party potentially linked to them. Frieden said sightings of this type of aircraft were new for Luxembourg, although not entirely new to neighbouring countries.
The incident comes amid growing European concerns about drones flying over sensitive sites, as well as airspace violations and cyber-attacks, since the war between Russia and Ukraine began in 2022.
Unauthorised drones were seen over sensitive sites in Belgium and Denmark last year. Earlier this year, a drone carrying explosives was found at a German airport, and Berlin accused Moscow. Frieden said Luxembourg would work with its partners to ensure the security of their people.
