Flights at Aalborg Airport in northern Denmark were suspended for nearly three hours overnight after multiple drones entered its airspace, police said on Thursday, marking the second disruption at a Danish airport in less than a week.
The drones were first spotted at 9:44 p.m. local time on Wednesday and cleared the area at 12:54 a.m. on Thursday, Northern Jutland police said.
Attempts to neutralize the drones were unsuccessful, and no operators have been apprehended. At least three flights were diverted to other airports.
Authorities said the incident bore similarities to drone activity that forced a four-hour shutdown of Copenhagen Airport on Tuesday, which Danish officials described as the most serious attack yet on the country’s critical infrastructure.
Aalborg, which also serves as a military base, was closed to both civilian and military traffic during the disruption.
“More than one drone was observed, flying with lights on,” police told reporters, adding that it was too early to determine the purpose of the flights or who was behind them.
The national police commissioner, Thorkild Fogde, noted that while many drone sightings reported this week were unrelated, “the one in Aalborg does” merit serious concern.
The closures come amid a wider pattern of drone incursions across Europe. Norway briefly shut Oslo airport’s airspace on Monday after a drone sighting, while Danish authorities have linked the Copenhagen incident to suspected Russian activity elsewhere on the continent.
Russia’s ambassador to Denmark has dismissed those suspicions as unfounded.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday warned that the Copenhagen incident reflected a “pattern of persistent contestation at our borders.”
Police confirmed cooperation with Denmark’s armed forces, the national intelligence service, and international partners as investigations continue.
Southern Jutland police separately reported drone sightings near Esbjerg, Sønderborg, and Skrydstrup, home to Denmark’s fleet of F-16 and F-35 fighter jets.
Despite the disruptions, authorities stressed there was no danger to passengers or local residents. Normal flight operations at Aalborg were expected to resume early Thursday morning.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
