Authorities investigate civilian drone spotted near runway at Bucharest International Airport

Authorities opened an investigation on Sunday, September 28, after a passenger aircraft reported the presence of a small civilian drone near the runway of Bucharest’s Henri Coandă International Airport, forcing a temporary suspension of landings, airport officials said, as reported by news agency Agerpres.

The crew of an incoming flight spotted the drone during its approach to runway 08R, the National Company of Bucharest Airports (CNAB) reportedly announced. The aircraft landed safely, but operations were briefly halted as a precaution.

“In line with the cooperation procedure between ROMATSA and the National Company of Bucharest Airports, landings were temporarily suspended and aircraft in the area were directed to holding points,” CNAB said. “After evaluating the situation, landing operations were resumed on the airport’s other runway without incident.”

Unauthorized drone activity is strictly prohibited in and around both civilian and military airports in Romania. Officials stressed that operating drones in restricted areas poses a serious risk to flight safety and may lead to criminal charges.

Authorities have launched an investigation to identify the drone operator and determine possible legal measures.

Biziday.ro reported that the incident at Bucharest’s airport did not appear linked to a series of recent sightings of larger drones near airports in Denmark, Germany, or Norway last week, which prompted heightened security concerns across Europe.

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