Air traffic suspended at Netherlands airport after drone sightings

Drone sightings caused suspension of aerial postulation astatine Eindhoven airport, impacting some civilian and subject operations.

Air postulation astatine Eindhoven airdrome successful the southbound of the Netherlands has been suspended owed to aggregate drone sightings, the Dutch defence curate has said.

“Counter-drone instrumentality is acceptable to act”, Ruben Brekelmans wrote connected X connected Saturday. “Further probe is ongoing, and enactment volition beryllium taken wherever necessary.”

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Eindhoven serves some arsenic a civilian and arsenic a subject airport. All types of aerial postulation were suspended, Brekelmans said. Asked if it was wide wherever the drones had travel from, the Ministry of Defence had nary further comment.

The incidental comes aft drones and different airspace incursions caused sizeable disruption crossed Europe successful caller months.

In September, much than 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace, and 3 Russian subject jets violated Estonia’s airspace for 12 minutes.

Since then, galore drone flights, the origins of which are mostly unknown, person disrupted airspace operations successful Europe.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called the incursions “hybrid warfare”.

Military fires astatine drones

Separately connected Saturday, the Defence Ministry said the Dutch subject opened occurrence astatine drones implicit Volkel Air Base successful the eastbound of the state connected Friday, but nary wreckage was recovered.

Security unit astatine the basal reported the drones betwixt 7pm and 9pm connected Friday (between 17:00 and 19:00 GMT), prompting the aerial unit to occurrence ground-based weapons to instrumentality them down, the ministry said successful a statement.

“The drones near the country and were not recovered,” the connection said.

In caller weeks, a bid of incidents involving unidentified drone flights person been reported adjacent subject sites successful the Netherlands and neighbouring Belgium.

Both the Dutch subject and civilian constabulary were investigating, according to the ministry, which said it was unclear wherefore the drones were flying supra and astir the aerial base. No further details were provided, citing information reasons.

Volkel Air Base is utilized by the Royal Netherlands Air Force.

In the Netherlands, the usage of drones adjacent each airports is prohibited for formation information reasons successful summation to different information reasons astir subject facilities, the connection said.