Denmark Shuts Down Airport After Drone Sightings

Aalborg Airport in northern Denmark shut down for nearly two hours Sunday evening after reports of suspicious drone activity nearby. Four flights were affected by the closure, which lasted from 9:30 to 11:15 PM local time, according to Danish air traffic control company Naviair.

Jan Eliassen, a Naviair spokesperson, confirmed Monday that the airport suspended all takeoffs and landings due to "suspicious drone activity" in the surrounding airspace. This marks another incident in a growing pattern of unexplained drone sightings across Europe that have disrupted air travel and raised security concerns.

The timing is particularly notable given Denmark's recent history with mysterious drone flights. Just two months ago, unidentified drones appeared across the country, prompting authorities to impose a week-long ban on civilian drone use. The restriction was put in place to ensure security during two major European summits held in Copenhagen on October 1-2.

Those September drone sightings remain unsolved. Danish investigators still haven't identified who was behind the flights, despite ongoing investigations. The incidents have created a troubling pattern for Danish authorities, who now face another unexplained drone event near critical infrastructure.

North Jutland Police posted on X that they "received information about the possible sighting of one or more drones around Aalborg Airport." They added that officers were conducting intensive investigations in the area but had no additional information to share at the time.

For the aviation industry, these incidents highlight growing vulnerabilities. Even brief airport closures can cascade into significant delays and costs. But the bigger concern is the security implications - unidentified aircraft operating near airports pose risks that authorities are still learning to address.

The pattern suggests either coordinated activity or copycat incidents. Either way, European aviation authorities are dealing with a new type of security challenge that traditional air defense systems weren't designed to handle. Small drones can slip past radar and create major disruptions with relatively little effort or cost.