An Iberia aircraft approaching Melilla airport encountered interference from a drone in Moroccan airspace on the night of 22 September, delaying its landing as low cloud already affected the airport. Spain has asked Morocco to adjust drone altitudes so they do not obstruct commercial flights.
The airport did not shut down. AENA said there were no cancellations and that Melilla's airspace did not need to close. After the control tower detected the drone, it reported the sighting to the Guardia Civil.
The Objective reported that another drone, showing a fixed white light, was observed in Melilla’s approach area on 18 September. The report said officials had not confirmed where the device came from or its weight, nor whether it affected a flight.
The request went through Spanish authorities to their Moroccan counterparts. The Delegación del Gobierno de España en Melilla said the device was on the Moroccan side of the border and was carrying out work similar to that performed by drones used by Spain's security forces in Spanish airspace. RTVE reported that Spain wanted to stop drones from interfering with aircraft during approach and landing.
Posts by aviation professionals also mentioned a possible second episode on 22 September involving Iberia flight IB2278 from Malaga to Melilla. The reports said the flight may have remained in a holding pattern after a drone was seen near the approach area. That information has not been confirmed in an official report.
The drone's position mattered because it was close to an active flight path. Spain wants Morocco to stop similar devices from operating at an altitude that could interfere with aircraft arriving at or leaving Melilla.
Guardia Civil sources said the drone delayed an Iberia landing but could not say how long the delay lasted. The control tower's alert allowed the information to reach security services while the flight continued.
Before the airport incident, the security deployment around Melilla had already been expanded. RTVE reported that the reinforcement included about 60 additional Guardia Civil officers and three GRS units of roughly 30 personnel each. Surveillance resources in the area also included two drones and one helicopter.
The episode came as police presence around Melilla's border perimeter was being reinforced. The measure followed calls on social media for a new mass entry. The drone incident and the border surveillance operation were separate parts of the security deployment.
Melilla's local government was not informed about the incident, information from Miguel Marín, the city's vice-president and councillor for Tourism. He criticised the lack of information and said he hoped such events would not affect the city's air links.
Low clouds regularly contribute to cancellations and delays at Melilla airport. The Ministry of Transport also identifies Moroccan airspace as one of the basic difficulties in improving the aerodrome's operation.
The drone did not cause a cancellation or an airspace closure this time. It added another problem to a route already vulnerable to weather-related disruption. Spain's request is for coordination with Morocco to keep surveillance activity away from the flight levels used by commercial aircraft, protecting Melilla's air links without stopping legitimate security work.
