Málaga Airport flight arrivals suspended due to drone sighting

A drone sighting near the approach zone of Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport caused significant aviation disruptions on Sunday night. The presence of the unmanned aerial vehicle forced Enaire, the Spanish air navigation manager, to temporarily suspend arrivals for approximately 30 minutes to ensure operational safety.

During the incident, which began around 21:00, eight flights were diverted to alternative airports, including seven to Seville and one to Alicante. Eurocontrol also reported that the Málaga airport was unavailable for arrivals during this period.

Separate operational issues also impacted travel between Barcelona and Seville. A Ryanair flight from Barcelona was delayed and eventually diverted to Málaga due to the operating hours and maintenance work at Seville airport. Passengers were later transported to their final destination via chartered buses, resulting in travel times of up to nine hours.