Dozens of flights bound for Copenhagen’s airport were abruptly diverted on Monday evening following an unexpected closure that lasted several hours, triggered by what police described as unusual drone activity.
Authorities in Copenhagen stated on social media accounts that two or three sizable drones were “observed flying in the area,” but offered no immediate elaboration on the nature or origin of these unmanned aircraft. A spokesperson for Copenhagen Airport confirmed these sightings, indicating the airport ceased operations around 8:30 p.m. local time.
Lise Agerley Kurstein, the airport spokesperson, clarified in an emailed statement that, “No aircraft can take off or land at the airport, and as a result, several flights are being diverted to other airports. The police are actively investigating the matter, and we currently have no set timeline for reopening.”
The airport resumed operations early Tuesday, though passengers were advised to anticipate ongoing flight delays and cancellations, as the airport confirmed via its social media channels.
Copenhagen police did not provide further details regarding their investigation into the incident on Monday evening.
Coincidentally, as the drone situation unfolded in Copenhagen, NRK, Norway’s national broadcaster, reported that a drone had been observed near Oslo’s main airport on Monday night. While authorities there responded by shifting all flights to a single runway to maintain smooth air traffic, no immediate link between the Danish and Norwegian incidents was established.
By 10:05 p.m. local time in Denmark, aviation tracking website Flightradar24’s data showed that over 35 flights originally headed for Copenhagen airport had been rerouted.
This closure follows recent disruptions to travel at major European airports, including an incident over the past weekend and into Monday due to a cyberattack. Earlier this year, airports in Britain faced shutdowns because of a technical issue involving the region’s flight control system and, on a separate occasion, a fire at a power substation.
The incident also brings to mind the December 2018 event at Gatwick Airport near London, where drone sightings over a runway caused the cancellation or diversion of hundreds of flights, stranding tens of thousands of travelers during the busy holiday period.