Bavaria set to let police shoot at drones after Airport chaos

Following drone sightings that disrupted operations at Munich Airport, Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann said on Friday that police could soon receive expanded powers to tackle the threat.

"We want to significantly expand the legal powers of the Bavarian police so they can act immediately and effectively against drones. That also means police will be allowed to shoot down drones in cases of acute danger," the conservative politician said on Friday.

Herrmann added that a draft bill to amend the Bavarian policing laws will be presented shortly, saying the plan is to be advanced at a state Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

"The threat posed by drones is real and growing. Our critical infrastructure is increasingly at risk," the minister said.

Police said several people reported seeing a drone near the airport, one of Germany's busiest, on Thursday evening, with subsequent sightings over the airport grounds. It remains unclear whether it was a single drone or multiple devices.