The main airports in Oslo and Copenhagen have reopened after being forced to close due to multiple drone sightings close to the airports, which caused flight delays and cancellations for several hours on Monday and early Tuesday.
The airspace over Copenhagen Airport was closed around 8:30 p.m. local time after two to three “unidentified” drones were spotted in the area, an airport spokesperson said. No flights were allowed to take off or land. Police described the drones as “large.”
The drones were still around the airport as of 11:17 p.m. local time, the airport said on X.
The airport reopened around 12:20 a.m. local time (6:20 p.m. ET) but some delays and cancellations were still expected, the spokesperson added.
Earlier, departing flights from the Danish capital were canceled or delayed, and arriving flights were redirected to other airports in Denmark, while some were sent to Gothenburg and Malmö in Sweden, according to the airport.
A spokesperson for the Copenhagen Police told CNN that as of 10:15 p.m. local time (4:15 p.m. ET), no arrests had been made and an investigation was underway.
In Norway, the airspace over Oslo Airport was closed Tuesday morning due to another drone sighting. “This means that incoming flights are now being redirected to the nearest airport,” Communication Manager Monica Iren Fasting told CNN.
Police were investigating the incident, she added.
The Oslo Airport reopened around 3:22 a.m. local time (8:22 p.m. ET), Reuters reported, citing a spokesperson for Norwegian airport operator Avinor.
Earlier, Oslo Police said they arrested two foreign nationals for flying drones over restricted area. There was no indication the incident was connected to the events in Copenhagen. Norwegian media reported the drones were flown over the Akershus Fortress, a medieval castle that is sometimes used for government events.
Europe has been on alert since Russian drones violated both Polish and Romanian airspace earlier this month – prompting NATO allies to pledge to beef up defenses on the bloc’s eastern flank. There is currently no indication that Monday’s drone activities in Denmark and Norway are connected to those incidents involving Russia.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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