Norway, Denmark face disruption due to several drone sightings close to runways

2025-09-23 04:22:23

(MENAFN) Major airports in Denmark and Norway experienced significant disruption on Monday and early Tuesday after multiple drones were spotted near runways, causing delays and flight cancellations.

In Denmark, authorities reported that two or three large drones were observed around Copenhagen Airport, the region’s busiest hub. Airspace was closed at 8:30 pm local time, halting all departures and arrivals and affecting approximately 30 flights and 20,000 passengers.

“The police have launched an intensive investigation to determine what kind of drones these are,” said Copenhagen police deputy assistant commissioner Jakob Hansen. “The drones have disappeared and we have not taken any of them.” A police spokesperson added that as of 10:15 pm, no arrests had been made. The drones were last seen at 11:17 pm, and airspace reopened at 12:20 am on Tuesday, though airport officials warned that delays and cancellations would continue.

In Norway, Oslo Airport temporarily closed its airspace from midnight after a drone sighting, according to a spokesperson for airport operator Avinor. Departing flights were delayed or canceled, and arriving planes were diverted to Gothenburg and Malmo in Sweden until the airport reopened around 3:22 am. Hansen noted that authorities in both countries are cooperating to determine whether the incidents are related.

Earlier reports indicated that Oslo Police had detained two Singaporean nationals accused of flying drones over Akershus Fortress, a historic castle used for government events, though any connection to the airport disruptions remains unclear.

The events follow a series of technical problems at major European airports over the weekend, including electronic check-in and boarding outages at Heathrow, Berlin, and Brussels airports, which led to dozens of canceled flights. Media outlets suggested that a cyberattack on service provider Collins Aerospace may have contributed to those disruptions.

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