EU Commission Aims to Protect Airports from Drones with 5G

Real-time tracking of flying objects EU Commission Aims to Protect Airports from Drones with 5G

2026-02-13 Source: dpa 2 min Reading Time

Berlin, Hanover, Oslo, and Copenhagen: Numerous airports had to temporarily halt operations last year due to sightings of drones. What is Brussels planning to counter this new threat?

Digital fences and airspace monitoring via 5G: The EU Commission intends to better protect airports and other critical infrastructure in Europe from incidents involving drones. To monitor the airspace, the Brussels authority plans to utilise 5G mobile networks, according to an action plan presented in Strasbourg.

According to the EU Commission, mobile networks enable precise real-time tracking of flying objects and should therefore be used in light of the threat landscape. Certain drones reportedly use SIM cards, which could make them detectable.

The proposal also suggests using 5G antennas as a sort of radar — receiving and analysing signals reflected by the drones. Together with artificial intelligence, the 5G networks would thus identify suspicious flight paths and alert authorities. The action plan is intended to complement military programmes and plans in Europe, focusing on civilian measures.

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Technical barriers for no-fly zones

This year, the Brussels authority also plans to present a drone safety package. According to senior EU officials, the package will include provisions for drones to have digital barriers programmed into them. All member states are to uniformly and digitally map their airspace exclusion zones — such as above power plants, military sites, or airports.

These maps should be stored in the drones, making it technically impossible for them to fly into restricted airspace. Additionally, to be able to assign each drone to an owner — thus facilitating the work of investigators — a registration requirement for drones weighing 100 grams or more is to be introduced.

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Many issues at airports caused by drones in 2025

In Europe, there were numerous sightings of drones at airports last year. As a result, entire air traffic had to be suspended — including in Berlin, Bremen, Hanover, Brussels, Oslo, Copenhagen, and Mallorca. Often, Russia is suspected to be behind these actions.

According to the German government, sightings of drones near important facilities in Germany have significantly increased since the onset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. To better detect and neutralise unauthorised flying drones in the future, the federal and state governments have inaugurated a Joint Drone Defence Centre (GDAZ) in Berlin.

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