By Kylie Bielby
A drone carrying explosives was found at Leipizig/Halle Airport in Germany yesterday (4 August).
State Minister of Justice, Prof. Constanze Geiert said attacks on airport infrastructure must be prosecuted with the full force and severity of the law enforcement authorities. “Following the discovery of a drone equipped with explosives at Leipzig/Halle Airport, the safety of flight operations and the investigation of this incident are of paramount importance. I have complete confidence in the work of the responsible investigative authorities and thank all those involved who brought the situation under control and helped ensure that flight operations could resume.”
The investigation has been taken over by the Central Office for Extremism Saxony, the Dresden Public Prosecutor General’s Office and the Saxony State Criminal Police Office. Geiert said the investigation is being conducted with “great urgency and in close coordination with the federal security authorities.”
Local media reports say the drone was found near a Ukrainian cargo aircraft and that another aircraft was hit by an unknown object in Leipzig/Halle’s airspace last night.
The airport is Germany’s second largest cargo hub and construction is currently underway to expand its logistics operations.
The German Airports Association recently urged the government to deploy drone detection and counter-drone systems at the country’s airports, adding that some, including Leipzig/Halle, were still waiting for equipment to be installed.
Last year, Munich Airport was one of several European airports reporting an increased number of unauthorised drone sightings.
Image: Leipzig/Halle Airport
The 2026 Unmanned Airspace Global Counter-UAS Systems Directory is now available. The guide is the world’s only comprehensive, continually updated directory of global C-UAS companies and systems. It itemises over 1,000 C-UAS products and services with performance details, company sales and partnerships arrangements. It is updated every month and broken down into niche sub-sectors (net-capture, missiles, intercept drones, detectors etc) to give C-UAS procurement and industry personnel a unique perspective of global C-UAS technical capabilities and market positions. It is available in word, PDF and excel formats and Unmanned Airspace readers are eligible for a range of discounts. For more information about the Directory please contact the editor Philip Butterworth-Hayes at philip@unmannedairspace.info.