Drones shut down Danish airport as airspace closed after Copenhagen sightings
Aalborg Airport halted all flights after unmanned aircraft entered controlled airspace, following earlier drone activity near Copenhagen; Danish leaders warn the incident is a serious attack on critical infrastructure.
All inbound and outbound flights at Aalborg Airport were halted on Wednesday night after several unmanned aircraft were spotted hovering above the runways, officials said. The disruption came just days after a similar drone sighting suspended traffic at Copenhagen’s Kastrup Airport. Flight-tracking service Flight Radar showed the drones in the controlled airspace, and Nordjyllands Police confirmed that drones were observed near the airport and that the airspace was closed as officers responded and investigated.
At least three flights were diverted away from Aalborg, including two SAS planes, one Norwegian Airlines aircraft, and one KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight, Sky News reported. Police said they would not comment on the drones’ purpose or identity and that authorities would take down the unmanned aircraft if possible as the investigation continued. “Drones have been observed near Aalborg Airport and the airspace has been closed. The police are present and investigating further,” Nordjyllands Police said in a statement posted to X. “We cannot yet comment on the purpose of the drones flying in the area, nor can we say anything about who the actor behind it is,” Chief Inspector Jesper Bøjgaard Madsen said. “If we get the opportunity, we will take down the drones.”
Earlier Monday, Danish police observed several large drones above an airport in Copenhagen, prompting a fresh round of flight disruptions. Officials described the sighting at Kastrup Airport as part of an ongoing pattern of unidentified drone activity near Danish airspace. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called Monday’s drone scare “the most serious attack on Danish critical infrastructure to date.” While she did not identify a specific actor, Frederiksen said authorities were not ruling out any options and she provided no denial of the possibility that Russia might be involved. The remarks underscored the tense atmosphere as investigators pursued potential leads.
That same night, a separate drone incident was reported at Oslo’s airport, according to NRK. Danish officials did not immediately attribute the Oslo event to any individual or group, and authorities continued to monitor conditions as the investigation progressed.
The episodes in Denmark—paired with the Oslo incident—mark a notable escalation in the use of drones near major transportation hubs in northern Europe. Officials stressed that the investigations were ongoing and that security protocols would be reassessed in light of the latest developments.
Looking ahead, authorities said they would provide updates as more information became available. The incidents at Aalborg and Copenhagen, along with the Oslo event, have prompted a coordinated review of airspace security around critical infrastructure as European security officials monitor the evolving drone threat landscape.