Prague’s Václav Havel Airport experienced a 20-minute suspension of take-offs and landings on Friday afternoon after a civilian drone entered the no-fly zone above Terminal 2. Czech foreign-police officers quickly located and detained an individual suspected of operating the device; the drone was seized for forensic examination. According to airport operations, one inbound narrow-body flight from Málaga was diverted to Vienna, while several departures left Prague with delays of up to 40 minutes as crews waited for new slot allocations. The incident comes as passenger volumes build ahead of the summer holidays and adds to industry concerns about external disruptions just as airports grapple with the new Schengen biometric checks. Czech police said the suspect may face charges of „general endangerment through negligence,“ which carries a potential prison sentence of up to three years and civil liability for airline costs. Authorities reiterated that operating any unmanned aerial vehicle within 5 km of a controlled airport without prior clearance is illegal under EU Regulation 2019/947 and national aviation law. Business-travel risk advisers note that while flight-safety impacts were limited, even brief runway closures can cascade through hub schedules—particularly for travellers connecting from Prague to regional Czech cities or neighbouring capitals. Companies with time-critical itineraries are encouraged to monitor NOTAMs and airport social-media alerts and consider rail alternatives for short intra-Central-Europe hops.
Source: iROZHLAS
