Drone panic hits Scandinavian airports as authorities edge toward possible state involvement

A swarm of drones forced the closure of Copenhagen and Oslo airports Monday evening, delaying or diverting roughly 100 flights and affecting about 20,000 passengers, authorities said. Danish police described the incident as bearing hallmarks of a sophisticated operation, though they had not confirmed the origin of the drones or who was responsible. Police officials signaled that the perpetrator appeared to be attempting to demonstrate certain capabilities, but offered no definitive attribution as of Monday night.

Danish authorities said the airspace over Copenhagen was closed after drones were spotted near the airport at about 8:26 p.m. local time, with traffic halted and a number of flights diverted to other airports. In total, 31 flights were redirected to destinations such as Malmo and Gothenburg in Sweden, as well as Billund, Aalborg and Aarhus in Denmark, while many other services were delayed or canceled. The airport reopened in the early hours of Tuesday, but the disruption reverberated across the region. Earlier in the evening, one plane was allowed to make an emergency landing at Copenhagen after it ran low on fuel because it could not divert.

In Oslo, Norwegian authorities reported the same period of drone activity over the Akershus Fortress, a site that houses the headquarters of the Norwegian Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence. Oslo Airport was closed and flights were diverted as a precaution. Norwegian police later detained two Singaporean citizens in connection with the drone sightings near the fortress, though officials cautioned that it was too early to determine whether the Oslo incident was connected to the Copenhagen disturbance. Norwegian police said there was no immediate indication that the drones posed a danger to the public or to flights in the airspace.

Copenhagen’s deputy police inspector, Jakob Hansen, said officers were working with the Danish Armed Forces on the investigation and that measures would be taken to address the threat. He emphasized that authorities could not yet determine where the drones originated or where they flew next, and he asked the public to remain vigilant while the security situation remained unsettled. He also indicated that the police would hold a press briefing the following morning to provide further details.

Officials noted that this incident followed a prior drone sighting at Copenhagen Airport in January, which had led to a short closure and a temporary halt to operations. Investigators stressed that the risks posed by the drones were still under assessment and that there was no current evidence indicating a direct threat to Danish citizens. The Danish and Norwegian authorities pledged to continue sharing information as they compiled data from flight manifests, air traffic control records, and surveillance footage.

The episode has prompted a broad response from regional security agencies, with both countries promising enhanced airspace monitoring and coordination with European partners. Analysts cautioned that while the drones’ exact origin remained unclear, the scale and timing of the disruption suggested a deliberate effort to challenge critical infrastructure. A police spokesperson stressed that the decision to suspend operations was made to protect passengers and staff, and that safety remained the primary concern as investigators pursued a cooperative, cross-border inquiry across Denmark and Norway.

As flight operations gradually returned to normal, airports and airlines faced the challenge of rescheduling thousands of travelers while trying to minimize cascading delays in an already busy period for international travel. Officials urged travelers to monitor airline announcements and airport advisories for the latest updates, noting that the situation could continue to evolve as investigators analyze drone trajectories and collect additional evidence. The broader question for European security planners is the degree to which non-state actors or state-backed entities might exploit drone technology to disrupt civil aviation, and what countermeasures will be effective in preventing a recurrence.