Hanover, December 28, 2025 — The Europe Today: Air traffic at Hanover Airport in the northern German state of Lower Saxony was disrupted after unidentified drones were detected in the vicinity, a spokesperson for the airport confirmed on Saturday.
The airport was temporarily closed from 9:47 p.m. local time (2047 UTC) on Friday until 12:16 a.m. on Saturday. The origin of the drones remains unclear.
Due to the closure, seven aircraft were diverted, including flights originally scheduled for Bremen, Düsseldorf, and Frankfurt. Additionally, connections to Frankfurt and Paris were canceled, and two flights failed to land in Hanover, preventing them from departing on Saturday.
Local newspaper Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung (HAZ) reported that at least five drones were spotted. The first drone was seen at an altitude of approximately 80 meters (262 feet) near a model aerodrome close to the airport. About an hour later, at least two drones approached Hanover Airport itself.
Authorities are investigating the incident, and airport operations have now resumed normal schedules.
