Flights at the main airports in Copenhagen and Oslo were brought to a standstill Monday night after drones were spotted circling their airspace, forcing thousands of travelers into sudden limbo.
Copenhagen Airport closed its runways around 8:30 p.m., suspending takeoffs and landings for nearly four hours. Authorities said two to three large drones were reported flying near the airport, though investigators have not confirmed their origin or type. Armed forces were briefly placed on alert, but police said there was no evidence the drones were meant to cause harm.
Operations resumed shortly after midnight, but the ripple effects were immediate: about 20,000 passengers were caught in the disruption, with at least 35 flights diverted to other airports. The airport warned travelers to expect lingering delays and cancellations.
In Oslo, a similar closure unfolded. Airspace above Norway’s main airport was shut at midnight after a drone sighting, halting traffic until about 4:30 a.m. Officials there echoed Denmark’s caution, saying they could not yet link the two incidents.
Speculation about foreign involvement, particularly Russia, surfaced quickly. When pressed, Danish police declined to confirm any ties. Later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky alluded to Russia’s “violation” of NATO airspace in Copenhagen last week, but offered no supporting details. NATO and EU officials have not publicly attributed responsibility.
For now, investigators are treating the sightings as the work of what one Danish officer called a “capable operator” possibly seeking to “show off.” Police have promised additional security measures but stopped short of specifying what they will be.
What remains certain is the scale of the disruption: two capitals, two airports, and thousands of journeys rewritten in the night sky by a handful of drones.
