A DHL cargo aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing after colliding with an unknown object during takeoff from Leipzig/Halle Airport, where a drone with a detonator was discovered. Authorities are investigating potential sabotage as security concerns rise across German airports.
On August 5, 2026, a DHL cargo aircraft experienced an unexpected collision with an unknown object while ascending from Leipzig/Halle Airport in eastern Germany. The incident led to an emergency landing in Hanover, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Authorities are currently investigating a drone discovered near one of the runways at Leipzig/Halle Airport. The drone was reported to contain a detonator, raising concerns about potential sabotage. Leipzig/Halle Airport, a critical logistics hub for DHL and Ukraine's Antonov Airlines, had to temporarily close its southern runway. Explosives experts were deployed to examine the device, causing flight diversions, including a passenger flight.
However, operations resumed normalcy by morning. The discovery of the drone has intensified security measures at German airports, which have faced recurring unauthorized drone overflights targeting military sites, energy terminals, seaports, and logistics facilities. Bild newspaper reported that the drone, found near a Ukrainian Antonov cargo plane shortly before midnight on Tuesday, may have been equipped with an explosive device. Investigators suggest the explosive could be composed of easily accessible materials such as fertilizer and gasoline.
During the disruption, one cargo plane had to abort its landing, struck an unidentified object, and later landed in Hanover with minor nose damage. The Interior Ministry confirmed the presence of a drone at Leipzig/Halle but refrained from providing additional details. In 2024, European security agencies probed several incendiary devices discovered in parcels, some of which were found in a DHL warehouse in Leipzig and other freight shipments across Europe, fueling suspicions of sabotage attempts against air cargo operations.
Despite the ongoing investigation, DHL Group CEO Tobias Meyer assured that the company is diligently examining the incident while attempting to mitigate its impact on customers
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