Copenhagen Airport (CPH), Scandinavia’s busiest, floor to a halt on the night time of Monday, September 22, after sightings of two to a few massive, unidentified drones known as for a four-hour airspace closure.
The incident, which started round 8.30pm CEST, disrupted over 190 flights and stranded 1000’s of passengers, elevating contemporary considerations about aviation safety in Northern Europe.
Copenhagen Police reported the drones, described as “subtle and never toy-like”, flying close to restricted airspace. The airport, dealing with 30 million passengers yearly, shut down operations and diverted 51 incoming flights to close by airports like Malmö, Sweden, and cancelled 109 others, based on Flightradar24. Full operations resumed by 12.30am on September 23, however delays proceed, with 10 of 26 morning departures affected.
Large drones watched for a number of hours over Copenhagen Airport
The drones had been noticed for a number of hours earlier than disappearing on their very own, and nobody is daring to say the place they originated. Authorities deployed a big response however have made no arrests. Copenhagen Airport have urged passengers to test airline apps for updates, because the ripple results continued into Tuesday morning.
The incident coincided with an analogous disruption at Oslo Airport (OSL), the place airspace briefly closed for an hour later, affecting 30 flights. Danish and Norwegian authorities are nonetheless probing potential hyperlinks, although no proof confirms a connection.
Social media footage of an object over Copenhagen’s runway sparked debate, with some analysts suggesting it might be a low-flying plane, like a Copenhagen Air Taxi aircraft noticed at 400 ft.
Copenhagen Airport drone sightings at worst time
The timing is resulting in pure suspicion at a time of heightened NATO considerations over Russian drone incursions and sabotage within the area. Recent airspace violations and a cyberattack on European airports, together with Heathrow and Berlin, have added to the unease. Police known as the drone operator a “succesful actor”, hinting at superior know-how.
As investigations proceed, with a police briefing at 7am providing no new leads, the incident remembers the 2018 Gatwick Airport shutdown that stranded 140,000 passengers.
