Copenhagen – Danish intelligence issued a warning on Tuesday regarding an elevated threat of sabotage, following significant drone activity that resulted in the temporary closure of Copenhagen Airport., reports 24brussels.
Oslo and Copenhagen airports, among the busiest in Scandinavia, experienced several hours of disruption overnight into Tuesday due to sightings of large drones, affecting tens of thousands of travelers.
“We are facing a high threat of sabotage in Denmark. Someone may not necessarily want to attack us, but rather stress us out and see how we react,”
Flemming Drejer, Director of Operations at Denmark’s intelligence agency PET, addressed the media during a press conference.
How did drone sightings disrupt Copenhagen Airport operations?
According to reports, Copenhagen Airport’s airspace was shut for nearly four hours on Monday evening after two to three large, unidentified drones were observed in close proximity. During this period, all flights were grounded.
“We have concluded that this was what we would call a capable operator,”
Danish police Chief Superintendent Jens Jespersen informed reporters that the drones approached from multiple directions, intermittently flashing their lights before disappearing after several hours.
How was Oslo Airport affected by similar drone activity?
In Norway, Oslo Airport was also temporarily closed on Tuesday morning for approximately three hours due to the detection of a drone in the surrounding area.
“This means the incoming flights now redirect to the nearest airport,”
Communications Manager Monica Iren Fasting stated. Additionally, police in Oslo detained two foreign nationals on suspicion of operating drones within the restricted zone on Monday.
Both Copenhagen and Oslo airports confirmed they had reopened by early Tuesday.
How does the situation compare with Gatwick’s 2018 drone chaos?
This incident recalls the 2018 disruption at Gatwick Airport near London, which was significantly impacted by unprecedented drone activity over its runway.
The chaos began on December 19, 2018, when drones were first spotted above the airfield, prompting airport authorities to close the lone runway for safety reasons. The runway remained shut for approximately 33 hours, resulting in the cancellation or diversion of 1,000 flights and stranding nearly 140,000 passengers during a peak holiday travel period.