Drones shut down Copenhagen Airport for hours as police seek for perpetrator

[ad_1] COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A talented drone pilot flew two to a few massive unidentified drones over Copenhagen Airport on Monday evening, shutting down the airspace for hours because the unknown perpetrator gave the impression to be displaying off their capabilities over Scandinavia’s largest airport, police stated Tuesday.

Officers selected to not shoot down the drones as a result of the danger was too nice due to the airport being filled with passengers, the planes on the runways and close by gasoline depots, Jes Jespersen, senior police inspector of the Copenhagen Police, stated throughout a information convention.

Jespersen referred to as the pilot “a succesful actor” and stated the wrongdoer appeared intent on displaying off their expertise and probably practising their strategies. The drones disappeared after a number of hours.

There have been no indicators that the drone pilot meant to trigger hurt to anybody, he added. The drones’ lights turned on and off and appeared to have interaction in numerous flight patterns.

“All of it signifies that you're not out to assault anybody, however you might be out to indicate off and perhaps to apply,” he stated of the pilot.

Nonetheless, authorities couldn’t rule out the opportunity of the drones being a part of a Russian hybrid assault, he stated.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected the allegations.

“Each time we hear unfounded accusations,” he stated in a name Tuesday with reporters, including that “a celebration that takes a severe and accountable place mustn’t make such unfounded accusations many times.”

The 2 to a few drones appeared to have flown many kilometers (miles) to succeed in the airport. Investigators are how the drones reached the airport — whether or not it was by land or probably by boat.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen referred to as it “probably the most severe assault on Danish vital infrastructure up to now.”

Flights on the airport resumed early Tuesday, although delays and cancellations continued by way of the morning.

“Copenhagen Airport has reopened after being closed as a result of drone exercise. Nonetheless, there might be delays and a few canceled departures. Passengers are suggested to verify with their airline for additional data,” its official web site stated.

A drone incident the identical night on the airport in Oslo, Norway, pressured all visitors to maneuver to 1 runway, in accordance with Norwegian broadcaster NRK. Visitors later returned to regular and it’s unclear who was accountable.

Naviair Director Morten Fruensgaard, left, police inspector Jens Jespersen, centre, and operations supervisor at Naviair Kristoffer Plenge-Brandt maintain a joint press convention at police headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark, Tuesday Sept. 23, 2025, after drones had been seen on Monday night close to Copenhagen Airport and the airspace over Copenhagen was closed for 4 hours into Tuesday. (Emil Helms/Ritzau Scanpix through AP)

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Jespersen stated nothing instantly linked the Oslo and Copenhagen incidents, however officers would look into any potential ties.

Safety considerations in northern Europe are heightened following a rise in Russian sabotage activities and a number of drones and fighter jet incursions into NATO airspace in latest weeks.

In 2023, London’s Gatwick Airport closed its runway for nearly an hour after a drone was reported close by. In December 2018 , greater than 140,000 vacationers had been stranded or delayed in the course of the Christmas season after dozens of drone sightings shut down Gatwick for elements of three consecutive days.

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