Late on the evening of November 16, 2025, the hum of Aalborg Airport in northern Denmark was abruptly silenced. Air traffic control, acting on a “reasonable suspicion” of drone activity near the airport’s airspace, suspended all takeoffs and landings at around 10:10 PM. For nearly two hours, flights ground to a halt, both commercial and military, as authorities scrambled to assess the risk and protect passengers and crew. By 12:35 AM on November 17, with no further drone sightings reported, the shutdown was lifted and operations resumed. Yet, the incident left more than just a temporary disruption—it underscored a growing crisis facing Europe’s airports and critical infrastructure: the persistent, mysterious threat of drones.
The disruption at Aalborg was not an isolated event. Throughout 2025, a wave of unexplained drone sightings has swept across Europe, forcing temporary closures at major airports in cities like Copenhagen, Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Brussels, Liege, Oslo, and Gothenburg. According to reporting from multiple European outlets, these incidents have led to dozens of canceled flights, affecting thousands of travelers and raising urgent questions about the security of the continent’s airspace. Germany, for example, is now grappling with an average of three drone incursions every day.
What’s driving this surge in drone activity? The culprit remains officially unidentified, but suspicion has fallen heavily on Russia. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has publicly accused the Kremlin of trying to “sow division” through such disruptions—although she stopped short of blaming Moscow for every incident. Denmark’s prime minister has gone further, calling the campaign a form of “hybrid war.” The pattern is hard to ignore: the drones are unarmed, but their presence over airports, military sites, power plants, hospitals, and defense factories is both provocative and dangerous. Even a small drone could cause a fatal accident if it collided with a passenger plane.
The timing of some incidents has raised eyebrows among observers. In September 2025, for example, as Sweden prepared to announce the sale of 150 fighter jets to Ukraine, drones appeared over its largest naval base and the city of Malmö—right on the critical bridge shared with Copenhagen. In the same month, Copenhagen Airport was shut down after drone sightings, and four Russian-linked ships were detected near the Danish coast. One of these ships was later boarded by French soldiers, a detail that only deepened the intrigue. Meanwhile, Belgium has found itself a frequent target, with some officials suggesting a connection to European efforts to seize €140 billion in frozen Russian assets held in Belgium for use in supporting Ukraine’s defense.
The scope of the threat extends well beyond aviation. According to reports, these drone incursions are part of a broader wave of so-called “grey zone” attacks—covert actions that fall short of open warfare but aim to destabilize and intimidate. These have included acts of arson, the severing of undersea communications cables, and a 25% increase in cyberattacks on NATO member states over the past year. Officials believe that some drones may be gathering intelligence, exposing weaknesses in European air defenses and testing the continent’s readiness to respond.
The September 9, 2025, incident over Poland marked a notable escalation. During a Russian strike on Ukraine, two dozen Russian drones flew into Polish airspace, prompting NATO to scramble jets—a response that cost £60 million. The drones themselves, reportedly made of plywood and polystyrene and valued at just £7,500 each, proved difficult to intercept. Only a handful were confirmed to have been shot down, highlighting the asymmetry of the threat and the high cost of defending against it.
Back in Denmark, the November 16 shutdown at Aalborg Airport unfolded with a sense of tense routine. As reported by Paramita Sarkar, Naviair—the Danish air traffic control agency—acted swiftly, grounding flights after detecting possible drone activity. North Jutland Police confirmed that “one or more drones” had been seen near the airport, though they were not visually confirmed or intercepted. The shutdown, though brief, was a stark reminder of the risks drones pose to aviation safety and the difficulties authorities face in tracking and neutralizing such threats in real time.
“The incident highlights the growing threat of drones interfering with aviation safety and critical infrastructure security,” Sarkar noted. Aalborg Airport, a vital hub for both civilian and military air traffic in Denmark’s North Jutland region, was fortunate to avoid any accidents or significant delays. But the episode added to a list of similar incidents at Danish airports in 2025, including multiple shutdowns in September, fueling speculation that these could be coordinated “hybrid attacks” targeting critical infrastructure.
Authorities across Europe are responding with a mix of urgency and innovation. In Germany, officials have acknowledged the exposure of air defense weaknesses and the need for cost-effective countermeasures. One NATO state has signed an $84 million deal with an Australian firm to deploy a laser-based drone defense system, while Nordic Air Defence in Sweden is developing autonomous interceptor drones and handheld missile cannons. The most ambitious proposal is a continent-wide “drone wall”—a network designed to detect, jam, and destroy hostile aerial vehicles. While plans are still being finalized, European leaders hope to have the system operational by the end of 2027.
The Danish government and aviation authorities, meanwhile, are increasing efforts to implement stricter regulations and advanced monitoring technologies to keep drones out of sensitive airspace. Investigations into drone incidents, including the Aalborg shutdown, are ongoing, but as of now, no suspects have been identified. The challenge is compounded by the sheer variety of drones—ranging from harmless toys to sophisticated surveillance devices—and the difficulty in distinguishing between benign and malicious intent.
Not everyone is treating the situation with the same gravity. When asked in October 2025 why he was sending drones over Denmark, Russian President Vladimir Putin quipped, “I won’t do it anymore,” likening the allegations to UFO sightings. The remark, while flippant, did little to calm European nerves.
For now, airports worldwide are investing in new systems to detect, track, and mitigate drone intrusions, recognizing that the threat is only likely to grow as drone technology becomes more accessible and advanced. The temporary closure of Aalborg Airport stands as a vivid illustration of the challenges ahead, forcing governments and industry leaders alike to rethink how they protect the skies—and the people who depend on them.
With incidents piling up and solutions still years away, Europe’s aviation sector faces a test of resilience and ingenuity. Whether the answer lies in lasers, autonomous interceptors, or a high-tech “drone wall,” one thing is clear: the age of drone disruption has arrived, and the stakes could hardly be higher.
