Copenhagen Airport, the largest international airport in the Nordic countries, experienced significant disruption and was forced to close on Monday evening, September 22, after multiple drones were spotted in its vicinity. Up to three unidentified unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were reportedly detected in the airspace over the airport in Denmark, prompting a substantial police response. Naviair, the company responsible for air traffic control, confirmed the airport closed to take-offs and arrivals at approximately 8:26 PM local time (7:26 PM UK time, or 20:30 local time/19:30 BST).

The closure led to widespread flight cancellations and diversions. Flight-tracking website FlightRadar24 reported that over 35 flights bound for Copenhagen Airport were diverted to other airports, including Malmö, Billund, Aarhus, and Gothenburg. Among the cancelled flights were those heading to UK destinations such as Manchester and London Heathrow, with an easyJet flight to Manchester and a British Airways flight to London Heathrow specifically mentioned as cancelled.

Copenhagen Airport issued statements confirming the closure due to unidentified drones and the subsequent severe delays and cancellations for all departing flights. Arriving flights were rerouted to alternative airports. An airport spokesperson indicated that police were actively investigating the matter but could not provide a timeline for reopening the airspace initially. The incident, which suspended operations for approximately four hours, caused considerable inconvenience for passengers.

Operations at Copenhagen Airport eventually resumed after several hours of suspension following the drone sightings. However, the airport warned passengers of ongoing delays and cancellations and advised them to check their flight status with their respective airlines. While police investigated, no information was immediately released regarding the possible origin of the drones.

Adding to the regional concerns, a separate drone was also observed near Oslo Airport on the same Monday evening. Norwegian police confirmed the incident to local media, stating they had taken measures to locate the drone and had moved all air traffic to a single runway at Oslo for safety reasons.