Flights at Luxembourg Airport (Findel) were briefly suspended on Monday evening following reports of unauthorised drone activity in the vicinity. According to airport operator lux-Airport, all air traffic was halted between 9.38pm and 10.30pm after drones were sighted near the airport. Operations resumed shortly before 11pm, with lux-Airport confirming that normal service had been restored.
The incident follows a similar disruption just days earlier. On Friday, a total of 19 flights bound for Findel – including 17 operated by Luxair – had to be diverted to other airports. That interruption was also caused by unauthorised drone activity leading to a temporary closure of the runway.
At a press briefing, Prime Minister Luc Frieden assured that while the government was taking the situation seriously, there was nevertheless no reason to panic.
Luxair’s Director of Operations, Daniel Colling, appeared on RTL Radio at 7am on Monday to discuss the security response and the impact of the incident.
Unlike previous incidents, no flights were diverted on Monday evening, Colling confirmed. However, several aircraft approaching Luxembourg were deliberately instructed to reduce speed, he explained, helping to minimise the domino effects of the forced flight stop. The longest delay reached approximately one hour.
Just days earlier, on Friday, 19 flights, 17 of them operated by Luxair, were diverted to other airports due to a similar temporary closure triggered by unauthorised drone activity.
Colling warned that full diversions have much more severe consequences for both the airline and its passengers, as the diverted aircraft must eventually return to Luxembourg, causing operational disruption.
He also highlighted the difficulties faced by passengers, many of whom were forced to seek hotels at other airports late into the night, or rely on alternative transport to return to Luxembourg.
On Friday alone, the financial impact for Luxair is estimated to have reached several hundred thousand euros. This figure can escalate quickly, Colling noted.
Colling emphasised that while detection systems and communication between Luxair and the airport function well, improvements are still needed to reduce the time it takes to neutralise the drone threat.
He underlined that this is not just a local issue: airports in Vilnius, Leipzig, Copenhagen, and Berlin have all recently faced similar drone-related incidents. Airports worldwide are now grappling with this growing challenge and must work together with national authorities to find effective solutions.
At a press briefing on Saturday, Prime Minister Luc Frieden acknowledged the link between the drone incidents at Findel and similar cases in neighbouring countries. He reiterated that the government is taking the situation seriously, maintaining contact with NATO and consulting with allied countries.
However, he added that there is currently no reason for public alarm.
