A major European airport had to temporarily close one of its runways due to an unusual incident, as stated by the police. The Polderbaan runway at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam was shut down for 45 minutes around 12:10 pm because of a drone flying at an altitude of approximately 150m. During a YouTube livestream by aviation enthusiasts, a Transavia plane pilot reported that the drone came within about 50m of the aircraft.
Authorities launched a police operation, including a helicopter, to locate the drone and its operator, but both were not found. A spokesperson for the Royal Marechaussee, the military police, described the situation as “quite unique,” suggesting that the drone operator was likely flying it as a hobby.
Although the drone was relatively small and did not endanger air traffic, planes were redirected to another runway following the incident. “For safety reasons, air traffic was diverted from the Polderbaan to the Zwanenburgbaan at that time,” stated a spokesperson for the Royal Marechaussee to RTL Nieuws.
While this incident seems attributed to recreational drone use, recent days have seen more serious drone-related incidents in other European countries. The Danish Defence Ministry reported sightings of drones at multiple defense facilities. These new drone sightings occurred overnight from Friday to Saturday, following earlier sightings that led to temporary closures of Danish airports.
Reports from local media indicated sightings of drones near or above the Karup Air Base, Denmark’s largest military base. However, the defense ministry did not confirm these sightings, citing operational security and ongoing investigations. In a separate clarification, the ministry addressed reports of additional drone activity at Skrydstrup Air Base and the Jutland Dragoon Regiment, stating that these sightings did not occur overnight from Friday to Saturday.
Concerns have escalated in Denmark due to the unexplained drone activities, with hundreds of unconfirmed sightings reported by citizens. The public has been urged to report any suspicious activities to the authorities. Recent drone incidents, including those at Danish airports and Copenhagen Airport, have raised security concerns in northern Europe amid heightened tensions attributed to increased Russian aggression.