Copenhagen Airport closure after drone sightings

Published on Sep 22, 2025, 6:55 pm CDT

6 min read

Flights at Copenhagen Airport (CPH) were halted on September 22, 2025, after police reported two to three large drones near the airfield. The shutdown began at 8:26 p.m. local time, suspending all takeoffs and landings and triggering widespread diversions. Airport authorities later confirmed operations had resumed in the early hours of September 23 after nearly four hours offline, but residual delays and cancellations persisted as airlines worked to rebalance aircraft and crews. Police said the investigation is ongoing, and no details about the drones or their operators were released.

Key Points

Why it matters: A major Nordic hub paused flights, disrupting connections across Europe.
Travel impact: Diversions and rolling delays continue into September 23, check with your airline.
What's next: Police probe the drone activity, airport warns of lingering schedule changes.
Diversions affected dozens of flights, with knock-on impacts to morning banks.
Separate drone alerts briefly affected traffic management in Oslo the same evening.

Snapshot

Copenhagen Airport (CPH) suspended all departures and arrivals at 8:26 p.m. on September 22 after reports of two to three large drones in the vicinity. Authorities reopened the airfield just after midnight on September 23, restoring operations following nearly four hours offline. During the closure, dozens of flights diverted, and late-night departures were canceled. Travelers faced overnight delays, crew reassignments, and aircraft out of position across Scandinavian networks. Police maintained a strong presence around the airport and said the investigation continues. Officials offered no timeline for identifying the drones, and advised passengers to monitor airline channels for rebooking and updated departure times as schedules normalize.

Background

Drones continue to challenge airport security managers because even small unmanned aircraft can disrupt protected airspace. In Europe, safety protocols require immediate suspension of movements when unmanned aircraft are sighted near runways or approach paths. The Copenhagen shutdown follows a month of heightened aviation security concerns in the region, including cyber incidents affecting passenger-processing systems at several major European hubs. While the drone sightings in Copenhagen appear operationally isolated, they compounded a week of irregular operations and created fresh bottlenecks for carriers depending on late-evening aircraft turns. Regulators and airport operators are investing in detection, tracking, and coordinated response tools, but real-time drone mitigation at civilian airports remains tightly restricted due to air safety and legal constraints. As a result, temporary closures and diversions are often the only safe option until airspace is confirmed clear.

Latest Developments

CPH resumes operations after nearly four-hour shutdown

Airport officials confirmed flights resumed shortly after midnight on September 23, following a complete suspension that began at 8:26 p.m. on September 22. During the outage, about 50 flights were diverted to alternate airports, with additional cancellations among late-evening departures. Passengers should expect residual delays through the morning of September 23 as crews time out and aircraft return to scheduled rotations. Airlines prioritized inbound diversions and reaccommodation before rebuilding departure banks. Authorities offered limited detail on the investigation, citing safety and operational sensitivity. Travelers connecting onward in Europe may face missed connections and rebookings until aircraft and crews are repositioned.

Police probe drone activity near protected airspace

Copenhagen Police reported two to three large, unidentified drones near the airport perimeter, prompting an immediate halt to takeoffs and landings. Officers maintained a visible presence around the terminals while airport operations and air navigation service providers coordinated a cautionary airspace closure. Officials did not specify drone types, launch points, or motives, and no arrests were announced during the initial response. The airport advised passengers to follow airline notifications for rolling updates, warning that cancellations may extend beyond the initial closure window as operations stabilize.

Separate alert in Norway adds regional strain

Norwegian authorities briefly restricted operations at Oslo Airport (OSL) the same evening due to a drone report, consolidating traffic on one runway before returning to normal. The Norwegian event was managed independently, and officials provided no indication it was connected to the Copenhagen incident. Even short-lived alerts can add stress to airline and air traffic control resources, especially during late-day peak periods when spare capacity is limited. The combination of diversions and crew duty limits pushed some flights into cancellations, further tightening morning bank capacity across the region.

Analysis

The Copenhagen Airport closure underscores how quickly drone sightings can ripple through tightly wound airline networks. The local shutdown lasted less than four hours, yet the operational hangover can persist for an entire day, especially at hub airports where late-evening turns feed morning departures. When multiple aircraft divert, airlines must juggle crew duty limits, maintenance windows, stand availability, and passenger reaccommodation. Even after airspace reopens, gate constraints and out-of-position aircraft slow the reset. That is why travelers often encounter rolling delays and stray cancellations long after an incident ends.

For airports, the challenge is balancing rapid threat assessment with safety conservatism. Drone detection and classification technology has improved, but most civilian operators cannot kinetically disable unmanned aircraft, and active mitigation tools near runways remain tightly restricted. The resulting playbook favors swift closures, police sweeps, and a staged restart. Meanwhile, carriers face customer-service pressure to rebook disrupted travelers, which can cannibalize seats on already full morning flights.

Regionally, the coincident alert in Norway illustrates how local events can overlap and consume limited contingency bandwidth. While there is no confirmed link, even perceived clusters drive heightened vigilance and operational caution. The near-term fix for travelers remains pragmatic, build slack into itineraries, favor longer connections, and keep mobile apps and notifications on. For airports and regulators, continued investment in detection, interagency coordination, and clearer public communications will help shorten closure windows and accelerate the return to normal operations after a future Copenhagen Airport closure.

Final Thoughts

Copenhagen's fast shutdown and restart likely prevented a longer disruption, but the operational aftershocks will linger through early September 23. Travelers connecting through Scandinavia should assume schedules will be fluid, monitor airline messages, and budget extra time for passport control and re-screening after rebookings. Airport operators will face renewed scrutiny of drone-detection coverage, communication speed, and coordination with police and air navigation services. Until more robust mitigation tools are authorized for use near runways, quick suspensions, diversions, and controlled restarts will remain the safest response to drone sightings, and the most predictable outcome of any future Copenhagen Airport closure.