FLIGHTS have been diverted from an airport on a Spanish island after drone sightings – as incursions continue to spark chaos in Europe.
At least three planes packed with holidaymakers were turned away at Fuerteventura Airport.
GettyFlights were diverted from Fuerteventura[/caption]
Footage showed a drone flying close to the Copenhagen airport
According to reports, drones flying near the airport – which connects to more than 80 destinations – meant the flights couldn’t land.
At least one drone was reportedly seen in the Playa Blanca area of the Canary Island – south of El Matorral.
The diverted flights were due to touch down on the Spanish island on Sunday morning – coming from Seville, Santiago de Compostela, and Gran Canaria, El Mundo reports.
Ryanair’s flight from Santiago de Compostela was diverted to Lanzarote – while the other two went to Gran Canaria Airport.
Incoming air traffic was temporarily halted, according to local media – with airport information boards displaying cancellations and delays.
Operations at the airport have since resumed.
But it comes after days of repeated drone incursions across Europe.
Officials have been on high alert after drone sightings shut down air traffic in Denmark several times over the past week.
Norwegian police also said they were probing several drone sightings on Saturday near the country’s Oerland air force base – the main base for Norway‘s F-35s jet fighters.
Drones were also spotted over a military base in Marne in the north east of France.
Security measures have been put in place after the “exceptional” event above the Mourmelon-le-Grand base, authorities said.
In Germany, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the threat from drones was “high” and the country would take measures to defend itself.
“There is a threat that can be classified as high when it comes to drones,” Dobrindt said.
“It is an abstract threat, but very concrete in individual cases.”
More drones were observed over Danish military sites overnight for the second straight day, Denmark’s army said today.
They were spotted flying over the Karup Air Base, which houses all of the armed forces’ helicopters, airspace surveillance, flight school and support functions.
It is Denmark’s largest military base – and it also serves as the HQ of Nato’s Multinational Division North unit.
In response to repeated incursions, a spokesperson for Nato said it has “enhanced vigilance” in the Baltic Sea.
The reinforced measures “include multiple intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms and at least one air-defence frigate” in the region to the west of Russia.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the drones were part of “hybrid attacks” that may be linked to Russia.
Europe is now gearing up to build a massive layer of defence dubbed the “drone wall” to deter Russian incursions into Nato airspace.
European defence ministers agreed on Friday to develop a “drone wall” along their borders with Russia and Ukraine to better detect, track and intercept drones violating Europe’s airspace.
X/@MSchieller69609Drones flew over multiple airports across Denmark and caused one of them to close for hours[/caption]
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