Travel chaos returned to Denmark on Wednesday night as Aalborg Airport halted all flights following sightings of multiple drones in its airspace.
Passengers faced delays and diversions, while authorities scrambled to investigate who might be behind the disruption.
Flights Diverted as Police Respond
Nordjyllands Police confirmed on X that drones had been observed near Aalborg Airport, prompting an immediate closure of the airspace.
“Drones have been observed near Aalborg Airport and the airspace is closed.
The police are present and investigating further,” the statement read.
Several flights were affected, including two SAS planes, one Norwegian Airlines flight, and one KLM flight. Inbound aircraft were rerouted to alternative airports, and no flights were expected to land or take off until at least 6 a.m. local time on Thursday, according to Aalborg Airport deputy and operations director Kim Bergmann.
Patterns Remind Authorities of Copenhagen Drone Incident
Danish National Police noted that the drones at Aalborg appeared to follow a similar flight pattern to the drones that disrupted Copenhagen Airport earlier this week, grounding around 100 flights and leaving 20,000 passengers stranded.
The airport is also a military base, meaning the Danish Armed Forces had to respond alongside civil authorities.
Other airports, including Esbjerg, Sønderborg, and Skrydstrup, were put on high alert after drone sightings near fighter aircraft stations.
Unclear Motives Behind Drone Flights
The purpose of the drones remains a mystery. They were reportedly flying with lights on and off for several hours, coming from multiple directions. Police are investigating multiple possibilities, including whether the drones were launched from ships, given Aalborg Airport’s proximity to a busy Baltic Sea shipping lane.
Possible Russian Involvement?
Tensions have risen after Danish authorities hinted that Russia could be involved.
Police inspector Jens Jespersen described the Copenhagen drone incident as a “sophisticated operation,” citing the number, size, and flight patterns of the drones.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called it “the most serious attack on Danish critical infrastructure to date,” cautioning that Russian involvement could not be ruled out.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also criticized Russia for violating NATO airspace in Copenhagen, though he did not clarify the source of his claim.
High Threat Level and Intelligence Warnings
Danish intelligence has labeled the country at a “high threat of sabotage” after the Copenhagen incident.
Flemming Drejer, Director of Operations at Denmark’s intelligence service PET, told reporters that the attacks may aim more to test Denmark’s response than to cause direct harm.
Authorities continue to investigate the drones, their origins, and their intentions, with several theories still being explored.
Ripple Effects Across Scandinavian Airports
This disruption is part of a wider series of drone incidents across Scandinavia.
On Monday, flights at Copenhagen Airport were grounded or diverted, causing massive delays.
Similarly, Oslo Airport in Norway had to close temporarily after drones appeared near a military site, where two Singaporean nationals were arrested for flying a drone over Akershus Fortress, which houses Norway’s Armed Forces headquarters.
Russia Denies Any Connection
Despite growing speculation, Russia denied involvement in the Copenhagen and Aalborg drone sightings.
Authorities continue to investigate while warning that these incidents highlight vulnerabilities in airspace security and the potential for further disruptions.