Amsterdam Schiphol temporarily closed a runway after a flying object—reported as a drone or balloon—came within 50 metres of a Transavia passenger jet on approach. Authorities halted operations, opened an investigation and said they suspect a hobbyist was operating the device.
Discovered |
Briefing
This incident is part of a growing pattern of incursions near commercial airports: U.S. officials reported more than 3,000 drone events near airports since 2021, including multiple cases that forced evasive action and operational disruption (see more than 3,000 drone events near airports).
The object came within 50 metres of a passenger jet and prompted a runway closure, demonstrating the direct operational and safety impacts such sightings can cause; similar close calls have forced emergency landings of critical-response aircraft (see private drone collision with a SAR helicopter).
The event highlights persistent gaps in detection, attribution and response across civil and military airspace — echoed by recent unidentified overflights of military sites and cross-border drone breaches in Europe (see unidentified drones overfly Karup military base) (see unidentified drone breach into Lithuanian airspace).
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