Sweden’s Largest Airport Temporarily Closed Due to Unidentified Drones

Sweden’s largest airport, Arlanda Airport near Stockholm, was temporarily closed for several hours on the night of September 9 due to an incident involving unidentified drones. The closure affected both arrivals and departures.

According to SVT, the Swedish Civil Aviation Authority reported that at the beginning of the day, at least four unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of various sizes were detected in the vicinity of the airport. The type of these drones remains undetermined.

The airport’s operations were suspended at around 2:00 AM, leading to the diversion of five flights to nearby airports in Nyköping and Gothenburg. Operations resumed at 3:30 AM after the drones had cleared the area.

Swedish police have launched an investigation into the disruption, with spokesperson Daniel Vikdahl stating that authorities suspect the incident was intentional but have not disclosed further details due to confidentiality concerns.

The Swedish Armed Forces have confirmed their awareness of the situation and are coordinating with the airport administration.

This incident comes amid heightened concerns about potential Russian espionage activities in Sweden, following recent reports of increased threats and suspicious incidents involving Russian drones, including a reported crash of a Russian military drone in Latvia on September 7.