Flights at Copenhagen Airport, the largest in Scandinavia, were halted for several hours on Monday night after two or three drones were spotted overhead. Around 35 flights were diverted to other airports, causing widespread disruption for passengers.
Senior police inspector Jes Jespersen described the drone operator as “a capable actor” who appeared to be showing off their skills rather than intending to cause harm. The drones’ lights turned on and off and they displayed different flight patterns. Officials chose not to shoot down the drones due to risks to passengers, planes on the runways and nearby fuel depots.
Police are investigating how the drones travelled many kilometres to reach the airport, possibly by land or boat. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called it “the most serious attack on Danish critical infrastructure to date”. However, Jespersen noted that there were no signs the pilot intended to harm anyone, though a Russian hybrid attack could not be ruled out.
A similar drone incident at Oslo Airport in Norway forced traffic to one runway, but traffic later returned to normal. Jespersen said there was no immediate link between the two events, but officials would investigate any potential ties. Security concerns in northern Europe have increased recently due to Russian sabotage activities and incursions into Nato airspace.
Copenhagen Airport reopened early on Tuesday, but warned of continued delays and cancellations. Passengers were advised to check with their airlines. The incident echoes previous drone disruptions at London’s Gatwick Airport in 2018 and 2023, which stranded tens of thousands of travellers.
