Watch: How 'alien' drones forced Copenhagen & Oslo airports to shut, throwing skies into chaos

Air travel in Scandinavia faced a dramatic disruption as Copenhagen Airport in Denmark and Oslo Airport in Norway were temporarily shut down following multiple drone sightings, forcing the cancellation and diversion of dozens of flights.

Copenhagen Airport closed its runways around 8:30 pm local time on Monday after two to three unidentified drones were spotted near the airfield. “No aircraft could take off or land, and several flights were rerouted,” airport spokesperson Lise Agerley Kurstein told AFP. She added that the police were investigating the incident, and there was no clear timeline for when normal operations could resume.



Tracking site Flightradar24 reported over 50 flights were diverted during the disruption. Some flights were redirected to other airports in Denmark, while others landed in Sweden, including Gothenburg and Malmö. The airport eventually reopened around 12:20 am local time (6:20 pm ET), but the ripple effects continued into Tuesday with delays and cancellations.


Copenhagen police confirmed that “three or four large drones” remained in the airspace, noting they were much bigger than standard consumer drones. “They are still flying back and forth, coming and going,” said Anette Ostenfeldt, a duty officer.

Meanwhile, Oslo Airport also faced a temporary closure on Tuesday morning due to another drone sighting. Incoming flights were redirected to nearby airports, said Communication Manager Monica Iren Fasting. Police detained two foreign nationals for flying drones near a restricted area around Akershus Fortress, though authorities have stated there is no evidence linking the Oslo incident to the Copenhagen disruption.

The Scandinavian incidents come amid heightened security concerns in Europe, following earlier Russian drone violations over Polish and Romanian airspace. NATO allies have since bolstered defences in eastern Europe.

Europe has previously witnessed severe air travel chaos caused by drones, most notably at Gatwick Airport in the UK in 2018, where repeated drone sightings left tens of thousands of passengers stranded and hundreds of flights disrupted.

As investigations continue, authorities in Denmark and Norway are urging the public to avoid the affected airspace and stay updated on flight advisories.

Inputs from TOI