Camilla Jessen
On Monday evening, around 50 arriving flights to Copenhagen Airport had to be diverted to other airports.
Denmark’s largest international airport, Copenhagen Airport (CPH), was forced to suspend operations on Monday evening after drone activity was reported near the airfield.
The incident disrupted several flights across Scandinavia and beyond.
Airport Closure and Drone Sighting
Copenhagen Police confirmed on social media platform X at 9:46 p.m. that 2–3 larger drones had been observed near the airport.
“CPH Airport is currently closed for take-off and landing. The time horizon is currently unknown,” the statement read, as cited by Check-In.
The closure forced approximately 50 arriving flights to be diverted to other airports, primarily in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Germany.
Extraordinary Landings
Some flights were granted special permission to land due to fuel limitations.
Flightradar24 data shows that an SAS flight from Hanover landed at 9:25 p.m. despite the airport closure. Other flights, such as EasyJet from Basel, were diverted before landing.
After roughly four hours of disruption, CPH reopened at 00:30 on Tuesday, with the airport warning of continued delays and cancellations.
Flight Redirections and Cancellations
The diversion of flights created a logistical challenge for neighboring airports:
- Sturup Airport, Malmö: 13 flights
- Billund Airport: 10 flights
- Gothenburg-Landvetter: 7 flights
- Aarhus Airport: 5 flights
- Aalborg Airport: 3 flights
- Ängelholm-Helsingborg: 3 flights
- Ronneby, Rønne, Karup: 1 flight each
Additional diversions included flights to Berlin (4), Stavanger (1), and Manchester (1).
At least 15 incoming flights were cancelled, along with more than 35 departures.
Logistical Challenges Ahead
The disruption is expected to cause a ripple effect into Tuesday morning, as aircraft and crews are not in their scheduled positions according to the traffic program.
Airlines face a significant operational challenge to restore normal flight schedules.
Calls for a National Drone Strategy
The Danish Aviation Industry Association responded quickly. Secretary General Mathias Milling described the situation as “insanely dangerous” and potentially life-threatening. He emphasized that drone interference at CPH is not a new problem.
“There is an urgent need for the government to present its drone strategy. It will hopefully set the direction for how drones and civil aviation can coexist,” Milling said on LinkedIn.
This article is made and published by Camilla Jessen, which may have used AI in the preparation
