A drone carrying explosives was last night discovered within the cargo area of Leipzig Airport, while a DHL freighter was later hit by an “unknown object” after taking off from the airport.
In a statement, the Saxony State said that an airport employee discovered a drone equipped with an unknown explosive device within the secure area of the cargo operations zone, near the south runway.
The object was examined with the assistance of the Federal Police and an explosive ordnance disposal robot and the detonator was later removed.
The airport’s runways were temporarily closed as a result.
During this time, a suspected second unidentified flying object collided with a cargo aircraft after the plane had initiated a go-around following the closure of the runway.
Minor damage to the aircraft was discovered after it landed in Hanover.
Although authorities did not confirm which airline operated the aircraft, it is widely reported to have been a DHL freighter.
A DHL spokesperson said: “We can confirm that an incident occurred overnight in the vicinity of Leipzig/Halle Airport. The relevant authorities are investigating the circumstances.”
After an extensive inspection of the airport, the north runway was cleared for use again later that same night at around 2am.
The south runway was not scheduled for use today due to maintenance work.
The Central Office for Extremism in Saxony and the Saxony State Criminal Police Office’s Counter-Terrorism and Extremism Center are investigating the incident.
Saxony interior minister Armin Schuster said: “The incidents at Leipzig Airport constitute a very serious security event. Consequently, state and federal security authorities have been investigating hand-in-hand and with high urgency since last night.”
According to reports, the second drone was spotted close to an Antonov aircraft.
So far, the incident is not being linked to an incendiary device that caught fire at the airport in 2024. A similar incident also occurred in DHL UK parcel network in 2024.
As a result of the incidents, several countries ramped up their security requirements for shipments from the UK and Europe.
