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Drone Activity Disrupts Flights at Copenhagen Airport

On the evening of September 22, 2025, air traffic at Copenhagen Airport (CPH) was disrupted following suspected drone activity in the vicinity.

According to independent flight tracker observations shared by Christian Panton (@pa.nton.cx), several flights were directly affected. At 20:28 local time, flight SK652 from Hamburg was forced to abort its landing at just 175 meters above ground, executing a sharp turn away from the airport. Later, at 21:24, flight SK1668 from Hannover landed at CPH after burning fuel for 45 minutes. Noise sensors between 22:10 and 22:35 also picked up what was interpreted as helicopter activity in the northern part of the airport. Normal traffic only resumed at 00:38, when SK7744 from Ioannina, Greece became the first aircraft to land after the incident (Source: Panton, Bluesky).

Reports of drone sightings were not limited to Denmark. The Swedish outlet TV4 reported that drones were also observed over Malmö, Sweden, after the disruption at Kastrup, disappearing eastward in the direction of Svedala (TV4.se).

The events have triggered criticism over the lack of drone detection capabilities at major airports. @jkbkstr.bsky.social noted that triangulating drone positions should be a “trivial task,” while pointing to Saab’s Giraffe 1X radar system as a potential solution for counter-drone surveillance (Saab.com).

Speculation also emerged regarding maritime activity in the Øresund region. @vesselspotter.bsky.social highlighted the Oslo Carrier 3, a vessel with a history of Russian crew members, some allegedly linked to the Russian Navy. This led to suspicions about whether the ship might be connected to the drone incident. The Royal Danish Navy was later observed patrolling near Copenhagen Airport (Source: Bluesky discussions).

Drone activity near airports is particularly concerning because of strict geofence safety zones designed to prevent accidental intrusions. As Hyppönen, research director at Sensofusion, explained to Finnish media, airports such as Copenhagen and Oslo maintain safety zones extending 5 km beyond runways, making it highly unlikely for a hobbyist drone to accidentally fly into restricted airspace.

The incident underscores both the risks posed by drones to aviation safety and the growing need for robust counter-drone systems in Europe.



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