Copenhagen Airport was forced to shut down its airspace for hours Monday night after a skilled drone operator flew multiple large unidentified drones over Scandinavia's busiest airport, in what police said appeared to be a display of the pilot’s capabilities.
Officials chose not to shoot down the drones because the risk was too great since the airport was full of passengers, the planes on the runways and nearby fuel depots, Jes Jespersen, senior police inspector of the Copenhagen Police, said during a news conference.
Jespersen called the pilot "a capable actor" and said the culprit seemed intent on showing off their skills and possibly practicing their techniques. The drones disappeared after several hours.
There were no signs that the drone pilot intended to cause harm to anyone, he added. The drones' lights turned on and off and appeared to engage in different flight patterns.
"It all indicates that you are not out to attack anyone, but you are out to show off and maybe to practice," he said of the pilot.
Still, authorities couldn't rule out the possibility of the drones being part of a Russian hybrid attack, he said. The two to three drones appeared to have flown many kilometers to reach the airport. Investigators are looking at how the drones reached the airport – whether it was by land or possibly by boat.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called it "the most serious attack on Danish critical infrastructure to date."
Flights at the airport resumed early Tuesday, though delays and cancellations continued through the morning.
"Copenhagen Airport has reopened after being closed due to drone activity. However, there will be delays and some canceled departures. Passengers are advised to check with their airline for further information," its official website said.
A drone incident the same evening at the airport in Oslo, Norway, forced all traffic to move to one runway, according to Norwegian broadcaster NRK. Traffic later returned to normal and it’s unclear who was responsible.
Jespersen said nothing immediately linked the Oslo and Copenhagen incidents, but officials would look into any potential ties.
Security concerns in northern Europe are heightened following an increase in Russian sabotage activities and multiple drones and fighter jet incursions into NATO airspace in recent weeks.
In 2023, London’s Gatwick Airport closed its runway for almost an hour after a drone was reported nearby. In December 2018, more than 140,000 travelers were stranded or delayed during the Christmas season after dozens of drone sightings shut down Gatwick for parts of three consecutive days.
