Germany’s Munich airport has been forced to suspend operations after drone sightings led to the cancellation of 17 flights, the diversion of 15 others, and the stranding of some 3,000 passengers.

The airport said early on Friday that drone sightings were first reported by German air traffic control at 10:18pm local time [20:18 GMT] on Thursday, leading initially to a restriction on flights which was then upgraded to a full suspension.

Fifteen flights scheduled to land at Munich were diverted to airports in Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Vienna and Frankfurt, Munich airport said in a statement.

Germany’s DPA news agency said police reported that several people had seen a drone near the airport, with later sightings of a drone over the airport grounds.

Police helicopters were deployed, but “no in

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