(MENAFN- Live Mint) Munich Airport closed: The Munich Airport in Germany was forced to undergo a temporary closure on Thursday night after a wave of drone sightings, becoming the latest European aviation hub to shut down over unexplained drone spotting.

According to German air traffic control, several flight operations were disrupted, affecting thousands of passengers at the country's second-biggest aviation hub.

As many as 17 flights could not depart as they were grounded, while 15 incoming flights were diverted to Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Vienna and Frankfurt, an official statement said.

Nearly 3,000 passengers have been affected due to the sudden shutdown of the Munich Airport.

According to a report by CNN, the Munich Airport is scheduled to reopen at 5 am, as some flights are still awaiting takeoff.

“Some flights are still waiting to take off, others have been cancelled. Everything is under control and the airport is due to reopen,” the news outlet reported quoting a call handler fielding passenger enquiries.

The Munich Airport, located in Bavaria, southern Germany, is a hub for German flagship airline Lufthansa.

According to the statement, German air traffic control officials restricted flight operations at Munich airport from 10:18 pm (2018 GMT) on Thursday and later suspended them altogether due to several drone sightings.

Munich was already placed on edge this week when its popular Oktoberfest was closed temporarily due to a bomb threat and the discovery of explosives in a residential building in the city's north.

(This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates)

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