Drone sightings forced the authorities in Denmark and Norway to close the main airports in Copenhagen and Oslo for several hours overnight, causing widespread flight disruptions that were expected to last into Tuesday.
The first sightings were reported at Copenhagen Airport on Monday night. The authorities said they had suspended all takeoffs and landings because of two or three large drones spotted flying in the area.
Inbound flights were diverted to other airports as the police investigated, an airport spokeswoman said. As of 10:05 p.m. local time in Denmark, more than 35 flights bound for Copenhagen had been diverted, according to the aviation tracking website Flightradar24.
A few hours later, Oslo Airport shut down because of similar sightings, forcing flight diversions to other airports in Norway. Staff at the airport had twice reported seeing lights in the sky that appeared to be drones, said Gisle Sveen, the operations manager for the Norwegian East Police District.
Both airports reopened in the early hours of Tuesday. Copenhagen Airport said on social media that more delays and cancellations were expected on Tuesday.
Militaries in Eastern Europe are on high alert for drones as Russia ramps up its use of these aircraft in its war on Ukraine. Romania and Poland, both NATO members, have reported incursions by Russian drones.
It was not immediately clear where the drones came from, who was operating them, and if the Oslo and Copenhagen sightings were linked.
Earlier this month, NATO said it scrambled fighter jets to shoot down Russian drones that had entered Polish airspace. And last week, three Russian fighter jets violated Estonia’s airspace, prompting NATO to launch warplanes to intercept them.
The authorities in Poland described the intrusions of its airspace as a deliberate effort by Russia to test NATO’s readiness. Russia has said its jets did not violate Estonian airspace. It has also said that the drones over Poland were intended for Ukraine.
The drone sightings added to the disruptions to air travel in Europe this week. Several major airports, including Berlin, Dublin, Brussels and London’s Heathrow, saw operations severely affected by a cyberattack.
The presence of drones at or near airports has become an increasingly prominent threat in recent years.
In December 2018, drones hovering over a runway at Gatwick Airport outside London disrupted hundreds of flights. The next month, all flights bound for Newark Liberty International Airport were stopped after pilots reported seeing a drone flying nearby.
Livia Albeck-Ripka is a Times reporter based in Los Angeles, covering breaking news, California and other subjects.
Francesca Regalado is a Times reporter covering breaking news.
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