Alicante-Elche Airport in Spain reopens after drone sighting closure

Spain's Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport has resumed operations after a two-hour closure caused by a drone sighting near the runway. The incident led to delays for over a thousand passengers and forced ten international flights to divert. This was reported by La Opinión de Murcia, writes UNN.

Details

According to the operator Aena, around 8:53 PM on Monday, air traffic control systems detected a drone flying near the landing area.

For safety reasons, all takeoffs and landings were immediately halted.

Terminal operations resumed only at 11:00 PM, when air traffic controllers confirmed that the airspace was clear of foreign objects.

Ten flights diverted

During the temporary closure, ten international aircraft were diverted to other Spanish airports, including: 7 to Valencia, and one each to Murcia, Barcelona, and Palma de Mallorca.

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Approximately over 1000 passengers were affected by delays and schedule changes. By midnight, all flights awaiting departure were able to take off between 11:15 PM and 11:30 PM.

Investigation and police actions

Airport management reported the incident to the Civil Guard, which launched an investigation.

In parallel, the Spanish National Police deployed specialists from the air assets unit in the Torrellano area (next to the airport) to identify the perpetrator.

Law enforcement used the AeroScope system – a technology that allows detecting, tracking, and neutralizing unauthorized drones in restricted areas.

Recall

In recent months, at least ten European countries have recorded drone incursions into their airspace, causing concern and leading to increased security measures. Romania, Poland, Denmark, Finland, Norway, France, Germany, Lithuania, Estonia, and Belgium have witnessed these incidents, some of which are linked to Russia.