Copenhagen and Oslo airport drones forced overnight closures between Monday 22 and Tuesday 23 September, disrupting tens of thousands of passengers while police in Denmark and Norway investigate whether the incidents are linked and who operated the aircraft.
Authorities describe a “capable operator” and have not ruled out a state-backed hybrid operation. Both airports have reopened, but delays continue.
Timeline at Copenhagen Airport (Kastrup)
The airspace around Copenhagen Airport (Kastrup) was closed from about 20:30 to 00:20–00:30 CEST after two to three large drones were observed in the vicinity.
Thirty-one flights were diverted and around 100 flights were delayed or cancelled, affecting roughly 20,000 passengers. Danish air navigation service Naviair halted take‑offs and landings as a precaution, and the airspace was reopened once the drones had left the area.
Timeline at Oslo Airport (Gardermoen)
At 00:30 CEST on Tuesday, Oslo Airport (Gardermoen) suspended operations after drone sightings in the vicinity, following earlier reports around 23:30 CEST on Monday. The shutdown lasted roughly three hours, with flights resuming at about 03:30 CEST. Around 50 inbound flights that were scheduled to land were diverted.
Earlier, around 21:00 CEST on Monday, police detained two foreign nationals in central Oslo after a separate drone flight inside the military no‑fly zone at Akershus Fortress . Authorities are assessing whether any of these events are connected to the Copenhagen incident.
Investigation: a “capable operator” and possible Baltic launch
Danish police said the flight patterns, size and number of drones indicate a capable operator with the intent to show capabilities or train rather than cause direct harm. Lights were reportedly switched on and off during the flights.
Investigators from Copenhagen Police and the Danish Security and Intelligence Service (Politiets Efterretningstjeneste, PET) are examining digital traces and radar data, and have not excluded launches from a ship in the Øresund or Baltic Sea. The Danish Armed Forces (Forsvaret) are supporting the probe. Police chose not to shoot down the drones due to the risk to passengers, aircraft and nearby fuel depots.
Mette Frederiksen: ‘most serious attack’ on Danish critical infrastructure
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen described the episode as the most serious attack on Danish critical infrastructure so far, stressing that authorities do not rule out any actors and are working with PET, the Armed Forces (Forsvaret) and international partners. She linked the incident to a broader pattern of drone activity, airspace violations and hacker incidents that have hit European aviation in recent weeks.
PET’s operational chief Flemming Drejer said Denmark is under a high sabotage threat and highlighted the risk of hybrid attacks; investigators therefore include Russia among possible perpetrators while emphasising that attribution remains unconfirmed. In Norway, airport operator Avinor and police are coordinating with Danish counterparts and reviewing counter‑UAS readiness at Gardermoen.
Russian hybrid threats in Europe: drone incursions and airspace violations
The drone disruption comes amid heightened European aviation security concerns. In recent days, NATO allies have reported Russian drones crossing into Poland and Romania, and a Russian MiG‑31 briefly violating Estonian airspace, adding to regional tensions.
Over the same period, several European hubs experienced IT outages that disrupted check‑in and boarding systems.
Nordic governments have recently expanded air‑defence and counter‑drone capabilities, stressing hybrid‑threat preparedness and tighter civil–military coordination.
What we still do not know
Authorities have not identified the operator, the launch site(s), the exact drone models or the intent behind the flights. It also remains unclear whether the Copenhagen and Oslo incidents were coordinated.
Investigations continue, with Danish and Norwegian police sharing information and reviewing possible maritime and land‑based launch scenarios.
