Copenhagen Oslo airport drones caused major travel chaos after unidentified aerial devices were spotted near the two Nordic hubs on Monday night and early Tuesday. The sudden activity forced temporary airport shutdowns, flight cancellations, and diversions, affecting hundreds of passengers across northern Europe.
Copenhagen Airport halted all operations around 8:30 pm local time when security teams detected multiple large drones flying close to restricted airspace. “No aircraft can take off or land, and several flights are being diverted to other airports,” airport spokeswoman Lise Agerley Kurstein said. Danish police confirmed the drones were larger than consumer models and continued to circle the airport for hours.
Aviation tracker Flightradar24 reported more than 50 flights diverted to alternate destinations, including Gothenburg and Malmö in Sweden. Although Copenhagen reopened at 12:20 am, delays and cancellations spilled into Tuesday as crews worked to clear the backlog.
In Norway, Oslo Airport also closed its airspace on Tuesday morning after a drone was sighted. Incoming flights were redirected to nearby airports, communications manager Monica Iren Fasting confirmed. Police arrested two foreign nationals for flying drones near the Akershus Fortress, but investigators have not linked the arrests to the Copenhagen incident.
European authorities remain on high alert following recent Russian drone incursions into Polish and Romanian airspace. While no evidence connects these events, security officials stress that drones near airports pose serious risks to passenger safety.
The Copenhagen Oslo airport drones incident underscores the urgent need for stronger counter-drone measures to protect international aviation.
