Copenhagen Airport Shuts Down After Drone Sightings, Flights Diverted

Copenhagen Airport, Denmark's main international hub, was temporarily closed on Monday evening after unidentified drones were sighted in the surrounding airspace, authorities said. The shutdown, which began at about 8:30 p.m. local time, halted takeoffs and landings and forced dozens of flights to divert to neighboring airports as police launched an investigation.

Officials gave differing accounts of the scale of the sightings. A post on the police social media account said "23 large drones have been seen flying in the area," and that the time frame for reopening was unknown. Other police briefings and airport officials described a smaller number, saying between two and four, or two to three, large unmanned aerial vehicles were observed. Airport spokeswoman Lise Agerley Kurstein told reporters the airspace had been closed and that she had no timeline for reopening.

The exact number of flights affected also varied between reports. Tracking service posts indicated more than 35 flights had been diverted by 10:05 p.m. local time, while other official statements put the number at about 15. Diverted flights were routed to neighboring airports including Malmo, Billund, Aarhus and...