Airport reopens after multiple 'large drones' cause travel chaos with flights grounded

Multiple drone sightings at major European airports on Monday evening caused all air traffic to be grounded and dozens of diversions, with authorities still investigating the source of the disruptive airspace incursion.

Copenhagen Airport in Denmark was closed for over four hours after two or three "large" drones were spotted hovering over the largest travel hub in the Nordics. Witnesses described seeing the unidentified aerial vehicles occasionally flashing bright lights during their two-hour incursion, which began at 8.30pm.

Large numbers of police officers were seen in the vicinity of the airport as all flights ground to a halt, with a major search underway for the drones' pilot. In the meantime, hundreds of travellers were diverted to other airports in southern Sweden and elsewhere in Denmark, a situation described as "extraordinary" on Danmarks Radio.

A short time later, other drones caused similar chaos at Oslo Airport after breaching its 5km exclusion zone, forcing all air traffic to move to one runway while the UAVs were monitored. Then, around midnight, more drones were sighted, causing the Norwegian airport to close entirely.

Police in Norway said there was no initial indication that the simultaneous drone incursions were linked, with a major operation in place to track down the source of the massive travel disruption.

One passenger affected by Oslo Airport's delay and eventual shutdown due to the UAVs told Dagbladet that his flight from Rome had been diverted 275 miles to Stavanger. Lars Gulbrandsen told the publication that his plane was forced to turn around just 20 minutes before landing.

"This is a somewhat special situation," the captain told the cabin over the tannoy, as he was forced to take a sharp turn west to avoid the sudden airspace closure.

Gulbrandsen added his frustration: "We are sitting in the plane waiting for information about what is happening. This is an unpleasant experience."

However, just as Oslo suffered a second drone incursion, the Nordics' largest travel hub began scheduling flights once again. Shortly before midnight, Copenhagen Airport reopened to all air traffic after dozens of flights were diverted during its four-hour closure.

Authorities said: "Copenhagen Airport reopens after being closed due to activity. However, there will be delays and cancelled departures. Passengers are requested to stay informed through their airline."

Despite the airspace reopening, Copenhagen's Chief of Police Jakob Hansen said that authorities had not taken down the drones or made any arrests in connection with the incursion.

Hansen told the Danish press that "the drones have disappeared by themselves," and that a number of measures were being taken, but failed to specify further. He also added that his investigation would work with Norwegian authorities to establish if the two airport shutdowns were linked.