Large Drones Temporarily Halt Copenhagen and Oslo Airports, Police Cite Skilled Operator

According to Rokna, citing The Guardian, Copenhagen and Oslo airports, two of the busiest in the Nordic region, temporarily closed after large drones were spotted in their airspace, causing major disruption and delays. Police have stated that the drones appear to have been operated by a “capable operator” aiming to demonstrate specific skills, though no suspects have yet been identified.

Copenhagen Airport was shut for four hours after two or three sizable drones were seen nearby, while Oslo Airport closed for three hours following two drone sightings. “We have concluded this was what we would consider a capable operator,” Chief Superintendent Jens Jespersen told reporters on Tuesday regarding the Copenhagen incident. “This is an individual with the skills, intent, and equipment to carry out such a demonstration,” he added, noting that it is too early to determine if the Danish and Norwegian incidents are connected.

According to Jespersen, the drones in Denmark approached from multiple directions, with their lights turning on and off intermittently before eventually disappearing. Copenhagen had to divert 31 flights to other airports, leading to knock-on effects that delayed or canceled approximately 100 flights and impacted around 20,000 passengers.

The recent closures follow a series of disruptions at European airports. Last Friday, a cyber-attack on Collins Aerospace systems disabled check-in and boarding operations at Heathrow, Berlin, and Brussels airports. These disruptions extended over the weekend and into Monday, affecting travel throughout the region.