Last night, Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport was forced to close for almost two hours following the sighting of at least one drone in the vicinity of the runway. The closure began at twenty minutes to nine and lasted until nearly eleven o’clock. During this time, ten flights destined for the airport were diverted to Valencia, Murcia, Palma de Mallorca, and Barcelona, with seven arriving in Valencia alone.

According to a spokesperson from Airports and Air Navigation in Spain (AENA), the airport was shut down for a total of one hour and fifty-four minutes while the presence of additional unidentified drones was assessed. This situation caused significant delays, although there were no cancellations reported.

The affected airlines have taken steps to ensure that travellers reach their final destinations in Alicante. AENA confirmed that once the situation was clarified and no further drones were detected, normal operations resumed.

The Spanish Civil Guard and National Police have been notified and are now conducting an investigation to ascertain the origin of the drone activities and to identify the pilot involved.