Drone Chaos Strands Thousands of SAS Passengers at Nordic Airports
A drone incident at Copenhagen Airport disrupts flights, stranding thousands of SAS passengers.
- • Drone activity caused major disruptions at Copenhagen and Oslo airports.
- • Over 20,000 passengers faced delays and cancellations, with some stranded for hours.
- • Swedish police coordinated with Danish and Norwegian authorities to address the security threat.
- • SAS travelers reported chaos and lack of support during the incident.
Key details
A significant drone disruption at Copenhagen Airport on September 23, 2025, led to major travel chaos across Nordic airports, affecting thousands of passengers. The unprecedented incident canceled flights and prompted international security responses, particularly from Swedish authorities.
The drone sighting created a four-hour halt to all traffic at Copenhagen Airport, which serves as a crucial hub for travelers in the region. The situation escalated quickly, with over 30 flights delayed and around 20,000 passengers impacted. In a press briefing, Swedish police referred to the incident as a "drone attack" and indicated that the circumstances were deemed "very critical." Swedish police officials held emergency meetings with border control units to ensure a coordinated response to similar threats at their own airports, notably Stockholm's Arlanda Airport, where they conveyed existing preparedness measures were sufficient.
Meanwhile, Northern European security heightened in response to these incidents. The Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen labeled the drone occurrences as the most severe attack on Denmark's critical infrastructure. In Sweden, police spokesperson Rebecca Landberg confirmed ongoing collaboration with both Danish and Norwegian counterparts to monitor and assess the drone situation.
The repercussions of this incident hit hard for SAS travelers. Thousands were left stranded, many rerouted unexpectedly without assistance from airline staff. Reports from passengers detail frustrations with long waits for transport and a lack of timely communication from SAS about flight statuses. One couple, Ann and Kent Eriksson, incurred a taxi fare of 7,546 SEK after being redirected to Gothenburg, with no SAS personnel available to help. Other passengers experienced similar hurdles, noting the absence of support as they were stranded across various cities, including Berlin.
SAS acknowledged the widespread disruption affecting approximately seventy flights and urged passengers to submit expenses incurred due to the incident for potential reimbursement.