By: James Cooper

Shutdowns at several airports across Denmark last week, caused by suspected deliberate drone activity, have highlighted how easily drones can disrupt airport operations. These incursions pose serious safety, economic, and security risks.

Recent Drone Incursion Events in Denmark

Denmark has experienced a spate of drone incursion incidents in recent days, disrupting airports and some military facilities. This included a four-hour closure of Copenhagen Airport on 22 September 2025. The drones were launched locally and are suspected to be part of a “hybrid attack” aimed at interfering with national infrastructure.

In response, Danish authorities have temporarily banned all civilian drone flights until at least 3 October 2025.

Drone incursions affecting airport operations have become an increasing risk in recent years, coinciding with the surge in drone usage. The most significant event occurred at London Gatwick Airport in December 2018, when operations were suspended for 36 hours due to one or more drones in the area.

More than 1,000 flights were cancelled, affecting the travel plans of around 120,000 passengers. Similar, shorter incidents have since occurred at Dubai International Airport (2019), Singapore Changi Airport (2019), and Frankfurt Airport (2020).

Airports are particularly vulnerable to drone threats. The presence of a drone near manned aircraft, combined with large crowds at terminals, creates obvious safety concerns. As a result, the first step is usually to suspend operations until the threat is neutralised. Airport operators are legally obligated to do so, as part of their duty to monitor unsafe conditions.

Even a shutdown of less than an hour can heavily disrupt operations at large international airports, leading to significant business interruption, third-party claims, and potential reputational damage. In the Gatwick incident, the extended closure cost the airport operator and airlines an estimated £60 million.

Legal and Regulatory Framework for Drone Operations

Most jurisdictions with established commercial drone industries have safety regulations addressing the risks of drone operations near airports and aircraft.

In Australia, for example, drones cannot be operated within three nautical miles (5.5 km) of a controlled aerodrome or over approach and departure paths without prior air traffic control permission. Other standard operating conditions also generally apply, such as flying below 400 feet and maintaining visual line of sight. Breaches can result in fines or, for extreme cases, imprisonment. Recent rules also require commercial drones of any size to be registered.

Despite these measures, questions remain about whether current legal frameworks sufficiently address the threat posed by unauthorised or illegal drone use:

• Are existing sanctions and penalties strong enough to deter unlawful drone activity?
• Are authorities properly resourced to locate and prosecute perpetrators? For example, drone registration is only effective if enforcement agencies can identify and trace drones to their operators.
• Are current detection systems and countermeasures sufficient to mitigate risks, especially as drone technology becomes more sophisticated and is increasingly invested in by states, including militaries?

Growing Operational Risks from Drone Incursions

The risk of disruptive events like those in Denmark is expected to increase as drone usage grows exponentially in the coming years. This risk is further heightened by global geopolitical tensions and the potential malicious use of drones.

Drone incursions are now part of a broader, complex risk matrix affecting airports and other vulnerable industries. This includes:

• Cybersecurity threats, for example, the targeting of check-in technology across several European airports in mid-September 2025.
• Power and infrastructure vulnerabilities, as seen in March 2025 when a fire caused widespread power loss at London Heathrow Airport, closing one of the world’s busiest airports for almost 24 hours.
• Extreme weather impacts, such as the Auckland Airport flooding event in 2023.

It is critical that key stakeholders, including regulators, insurers, aviation participants, and other businesses, collaborate to review current regulations, assess available insurance products, and develop further measures to manage the operational and legal risks posed by drone incursions. Staying ahead of rapidly evolving drone technology is essential to protecting airport operations and public safety.

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We hope you found this update on drone incursions and their impact on airport operations useful. This article has been prepared by Wotton Kearney.

If you would like to discuss how drone incursions and the associated legal and operational risks could affect your organisation, or explore how Wotton Kearney can support you in managing these challenges, please get in touch with our author.