Germany Warns of Rising Drone Risks: What Travelers Need to Know

 BERLIN — Germany’s Federal Ministry of the Interior is warning of a “high” drone threat, with Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt announcing new measures.

Dobrindt stressed that while the threat is abstract in general, it is concrete and serious in specific cases.

The government is considering changes to aviation security law, including possibly authorizing the military to take action against drones.

The goal is to better protect critical infrastructure and large public events.

The debate follows incidents in Northern Europe that disrupted civilian air traffic.

Denmark recently closed airports multiple times due to drone sightings.

Aalborg airport was affected; flights were diverted or temporarily suspended.

The EU is considering a “Drone Wall” — a cross-border sensor and defense network to detect and neutralize drones.

In Germany, the exercise “Red Storm Bravo” is underway, demonstrating jamming and other countermeasures.

Military and civilian authorities are practicing coordination, situation sharing, and rapid response procedures.

The challenge remains: small quadcopters are cheap, hard to detect, and dangerous in numbers.

Experts call for technical solutions along with clear legal rules for airspace interventions.

A central legal question is: who is allowed to order a drone to be shot down, and who bears responsibility?

Critics warn that measures must be proportionate; civil liberties and air traffic should not be unnecessarily affected.

For travelers, this may mean last-minute flight changes — authorities advise checking information before departure.

The countermeasure industry is seeing rising demand for sensors and jamming systems.

Experts recommend better cross-border information systems so countries can respond faster.

Politically, the debate could strengthen European cooperation or increase tensions if blame is assigned.

The German government plans to clarify its proposed measures in the coming days.

The balance remains: protecting the public while keeping airspace open and reliable — the coming weeks will be decisive.