by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 9:00 AM ET, Tue September 23, 2025
Denmark’s Copenhagen Airport (CPH) and Norway’s Oslo Airport (OSL) were both closed on Monday, September 23 for several hours due to unidentified drones, now thought to be a coordinated disruption by Russia.
According to People, two to three large drones were seen flying around Copenhagen, leading to a police response and stopping flights for almost four hours on Monday night. Flights heading into Copenhagen were diverted to other airports, while the ones scheduled to leave were canceled or severely delayed.
Copenhagen Airport posted updates on X, formerly Twitter, as did the Copenhagen Police.
“There are still unidentified drones around Copenhagen Airport. As a result, no flights can take off or land,” CHP wrote on X Monday. “Arriving flights have been diverted to other airports and departing flights have been delayed or cancelled.”
Authorities, according to CNN, are now wondering whether it may be a coordinated disruption by Russia, with the Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen saying the two incidents seem designed “to disrupt and create unrest.”
Authorities have not yet named names, however.
Flights resumed around midnight local time.
In a separate incident that same day, a single drone sighting at the airport in Oslo also shut down operations for about three hours, with incoming flights being diverted to the next nearest airport.
The Oslo airport resumed operations sometime after 3:00 a.m.
Together, the two incidents left tens of thousands of travelers stranded or disrupted, landing at different airports from their original scheduled flight.
The investigation into the drones at Copenhagen Airport is ongoing. The airport posted on X: “Copenhagen Airport is reopening after being closed due to drone[s]. However, there will be delays and cancellations. Passengers are asked to check with their airline.”
Travelers are reminded to check with their airline about their flight status.
FlightAware is reporting that Copenhagen Airport is experiencing some lingering cancellations and delays, with 34 cancellations and 58 delays. Oslo Airport is reporting 23 cancellations and 58 delays.
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