Air traffic at Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport stopped on Sunday night after a drone was detected near the approach to runway 12. The incident occurred shortly before 21:30 and forced controllers to suspend all arrivals and departures for safety reasons. Several incoming flights were diverted, disrupting passengers and airlines at one of Spain’s busiest airports.
Information from ENAIRE, Spain’s air-navigation manager, the alert was triggered after multiple flight crews reported seeing a drone at the end of the runway. Authorities were quickly notified, and the airport was declared temporarily unavailable. Eurocontrol, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, also reported the closure and confirmed that flights were being diverted. ENAIRE manages air navigation in Spain, while the State Aviation Safety Agency (AESA) oversees the national application of aviation safety rules.
The alert was lifted just before 22:00, and operations gradually resumed. Air traffic controllers warned that restoring normal schedules would take additional time, even after the immediate risk had passed. They advised passengers to be patient while delayed and diverted flights were cleared. The roughly half-hour suspension shows how a report of an unmanned aircraft near an approach can prompt an immediate operational response as authorities assess the risk to arriving and departing aircraft.
Drone operations in Spain are governed by European regulations 2019/947 and 2019/945, alongside Royal Decree 517/2024. The rules are risk-based and require operators to observe geographical restrictions around controlled airspace and aerodromes; pilots are expected to check the applicable restrictions using ENAIRE Drones. In the open category, the general height limit is 120 metres above the nearest point of the ground, while a 60-metre limit applies in controlled airspace under the relevant conditions. Operator registration is required in specified cases, including for drones weighing 250 grams or more and for certain camera-equipped drones that are not toys.
Drone use near airports is strictly prohibited in Spain because of the impressive safety risks it poses to commercial aviation. Such incidents can shut down operations. Costly diversions can then send delays cascading across the network. Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport is a basic hub for domestic and international travel, especially during peak tourist seasons. The incident highlights the challenge of enforcing drone regulations around critical infrastructure. According to data from Spain’s Ministry of Transport, drone-related disruptions at airports, while still relatively rare, have increased in recent years as drone ownership has become more widespread. Authorities continue to remind the public that unauthorized drone flights near airports can result in severe penalties, including fines and criminal charges.
