At least 17 flights, including three long-haul flights to Asia, were canceled, and 15 others scheduled to land in Munich were diverted to Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Frankfurt, and Vienna.
Police said the first drones were seen around 9:30 p.m. CET, with further sightings an hour later. Due to nighttime conditions, authorities were unable to determine the type or size of the drones. Their origin remains unknown.
According to Flightradar24, operations resumed around 5:00 a.m., with the first arrival being a flight from Bangkok at 5:25 a.m., followed by a departure to Varna at 5:50 a.m.
The Bavarian airport is a hub for the German flag carrier Lufthansa. It served nearly 20 million passengers in the first half of this year.
Munich becomes the latest European airport to close after sightings of drones nearby. The incident follows a series of suspicious drone sightings in Germany, Denmark, Norway, Poland, and other European countries.
On Sept. 25, drones were reported over sensitive sites in Kiel, including a power plant, a hospital, and the state parliament. The Interior Ministry is investigating these cases as possible espionage.