PM Frieden Says Unidentified Drones Present ‘No Imminent Danger’ to Public

On Thursday 24 September 2026, Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden, Minister of Defence and Minister of Mobility and Public Works Yuriko Backes, and Minister for Home Affairs Léon Gloden held a press conference following recent events involving repeated reports of potentially unidentified drones in Luxembourgish airspace.

The press conference, which also included contributions from High Commissioner for National Protection Guy Bley, was opened by Prime Minister Frieden who stated: “We have been confronted with a new reality here in Luxembourg, incidents related to drones.” The Prime Minister confirmed that the origin and type of drones involved in recent incidents at Luxembourg airport and near Medernach had not yet been identified but investigations are ongoing.

Prime Minister Frieden said that the subject of drone security has already been addressed in recent months, both at a European and a national level, with the government taking the decision to begin development of a “drone plan” in March.

He thanked the agencies involved in dealing with the recent drone incidents, noting their “extraordinary”actions over the past week, and acknowledged the assistance given to Luxembourg by its neighbouring countries, with their help and cooperation assisting the Luxembourg authorities in managing the situation.

The Prime Minister noted that incidents involving non-private or commercial drones do present a potential security risk for the country and revealed that he has called on the ministers for security abroad and within the country to look, along with the security agencies, at what types of measures are necessary to avoid any damage or any danger to the country, but stressed “there has not been any imminent danger for the population.”

In relation to security measures, Prime Minister Frieden acknowledged that different types of drones are present in Europe and must be treated differently. He stated that knowledge is improving on a daily basis and cooperation between agencies is of utmost importance. “In the detection, in the identification, in the neutralization of drones, there is not a single answer, or a single [piece of] equipment that allows [us] to get the right answer. Coming from different institutions and bodies, people must collaborate well in order to manage the situation and to protect our infrastructures, in particular the critical infrastructures of the country.”

The Prime Minister detailed that the state has, in recent months, purchased equipment to help deal with drone incidents and this remains an ongoing process with further equipment earmarked for purchase under the national budget for 2027. He stressed: “For the equipment we need to be able to manage the situation and protect the country in the weeks and months to come for other incidents of this type, we are well covered.”

On the recent incidents which affected Luxembourg airport, Minister Backes said: “The procedures that were put in place a few months ago have already been effective in the context of recent incidents, from Friday to Saturday, when the airport had to be closed for a few hours, and on Monday evening as well, when the airport was closed for more or less than an hour. These new procedures have shown that they bear fruit because everything went well as planned. As a precautionary measure we closed the airport in order to be able to use the procedures during this time.”

She added: “We are also doing everything to put in place and improve our legal framework. What comes out of the drone-related plan is the law on aviation. It must be adapted, with articles that must be strengthened and other modifications. The safety of our air traffic is of great importance to me.”