The airspace over Denmark’s Copenhagen Airport was closed for nearly 4 hours on Monday night time after two to 3 giant “unidentified” drones have been noticed within the space.
The Danish police are seen at Copenhagen Airport on Monday after drones have been discovered close to the airport, resulting in disruption of flights. (Picture Credit score: Steven Knap/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP/Getty Pictures through CNN Newsource)
(CNN) — Two of Scandinavia’s busiest airports – Oslo and Copenhagen – have been compelled to shut for a number of hours attributable to drone sightings in a single day into Tuesday, disrupting the journey plans of tens of 1000’s of individuals.
The airspace over Denmark’s Copenhagen Airport was closed for nearly 4 hours on Monday night time after two to 3 giant “unidentified” drones have been noticed within the space. No flights have been allowed to take off or land.
“We now have concluded that this was what we’d name a succesful operator,” Danish police Chief Superintendent Jens Jespersen instructed reporters on Tuesday, Reuters reported.
The drones got here from a number of totally different instructions, turning their lights on and off, earlier than finally disappearing after a number of hours, Jespersen stated.
“It’s an actor who has the capabilities, the desire and the instruments to point out off on this approach,” he stated, including that no suspects have but been recognized.
When requested concerning the incident Tuesday, Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated she “can’t reject in any approach that it may very well be Russia” that was behind it.
Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Fee, stated on social media that “whereas the info are nonetheless being established, it’s clear we’re witnessing a sample of persistent contestation at our borders.”
“Our essential infrastructure is in danger,” she stated. “And Europe will reply to this menace with power and willpower.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov referred to as any allegations in opposition to Russia “unfounded,” saying that “making unfounded accusations each time results in the continuation of such statements now not being taken under consideration.”
“Our plane are guided by worldwide rules in all their flights and don’t violate them in any approach,” he stated. “Any accusations directed at our army that some borders are allegedly being violated by our plane have by no means as soon as been supported by strong and dependable information or proof.”
Copenhagen airport, which serves almost 30 million folks every year, reopened round 12:20 a.m. native time (6:20 p.m. ET) however some delays and cancellations have been nonetheless anticipated, an airport spokesperson stated early Tuesday.
Earlier, arriving flights have been redirected to different airports in Denmark, whereas some have been despatched to Gothenburg and Malmö in Sweden, in line with the airport.
In Norway, the airspace over Oslo Airport was closed for round three hours Tuesday morning attributable to a separate drone sighting. “Which means incoming flights at the moment are being redirected to the closest airport,” Communication Supervisor Monica Iren Fasting instructed CNN.
Police have been investigating the incident, she added.
Oslo Airport reopened round 3:22 a.m. native time (8:22 p.m. ET), Reuters reported, citing a spokesperson for Norwegian airport operator Avinor.
In an earlier incident in Oslo on Monday, Police arrested two international nationals for flying drones over a restricted space. Norwegian media reported the drones have been flown over the Akershus Fortress, a medieval fort that’s generally used for presidency occasions. There was no fast indication it was related to the occasions on the airport or in Copenhagen.
Europe has been on alert since Russian drones violated each Polish and Romanian airspace earlier this month – prompting NATO allies to pledge to beef up defenses on the bloc’s japanese flank.
This story has been up to date.
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