Drones in Copenhagen and Oslo. Authorities search for perpetrators of airspace violations

Emil Bogumił

23.09.2025 10:15

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Drones in Copenhagen and Oslo. Authorities search for perpetrators of airspace violations

Authorities are still verifying reports regarding drone flights over Gardermoen. Fot. materiały prasowe Avinor/zdjęcie poglądowe

Airport closures in Copenhagen and Oslo reshaped the night schedule across Scandinavia. From the evening suspension of operations at Kastrup to the overnight closure of Gardermoen, hundreds of passengers were stranded, and some flights were diverted or canceled due to reports of drones in restricted zones.

In Copenhagen, takeoffs and landings were suspended at around 8:30 p.m. on Monday, with operations resuming shortly after midnight on Tuesday following several hours of airspace monitoring. In Oslo, the first reports of possible sightings appeared late in the evening, with a full closure decision made around 12:30 a.m. and reopening after 3:30 a.m., resulting in an overnight halt to operations and morning consequences for the flight schedule.

Authorities in both countries conducted reconnaissance and security operations in restricted zones around the airports, maintaining the exchange of operational information. They emphasize the preventive nature of their decisions and the use of safety procedures when drone airspace violations are suspected.

At the latest press conference, Danish authorities still do not reveal details about the drones over the airport, but the rhetoric has become more serious. Authorities are calling it an attack. Nothing is ruled out. They claim the machines were operated by a very experienced operator. Denmark…
— Łukasz Bok (@LukaszBok) September 23, 2025

Drones in Copenhagen and Oslo. Scale of disruptions

In Denmark, media reported 31 diversions and about 20,000 passengers affected by the closure of Kastrup, as well as numerous delays and suspended departures during the evening and night hours. In Norway, after the overnight closure of Gardermoen and morning adjustments to the schedule, at least six flights were canceled and a dozen or so diversions were recorded, with a visible domino effect in the following hours.

– What we saw last night is so far the most serious attack on Denmark's critical infrastructure. It says something about the times we live in and what we as a society must be prepared for.

– Of course, we do not rule out any possibilities regarding who is behind this. And it is clear that this fits into the trend we have observed recently: other drone attacks, airspace violations, and hacking attacks on European airports.~Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen.

Aircraft on approach were directed to alternative airports according to ongoing risk assessments and the availability of air corridors. The wave of delays spilled over to subsequent flights, and the schedule was restored in stages after decisions to resume operations.

Footage published earlier tonight by Norwegian state media, claiming to show one of the large, unidentified drones that shutdown Copenhagen Airport in Denmark for several hours on Monday. pic.twitter.com/IeosEuRd7n
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) September 23, 2025

Who operated the drones in Copenhagen and Oslo?

In Norway, there were reports of two or three possible sightings near Gardermoen, but in the first hours after the incident, the presence of drones was not definitively confirmed, nor were any operators identified. Police note that verification activities are ongoing. In Denmark, larger drones were reportedly observed for several hours without any suspects being detained, and the investigation is being conducted by the police, security services, and the military.

Danish police did not speculate on motives and indicated there was no evidence that the aim was to cause harm, while maintaining heightened vigilance. Norwegian authorities emphasized that there is no basis to link the incidents in Oslo and Copenhagen, although information channels remain open.