Drones Disrupt Stockholm Airport Operations

Flights at Stockholm’s Arlanda International Airport were halted for two hours overnight after four drones entered its airspace, police said on Monday, adding they suspect it was a sabotage operation.

Sweden’s Civil Aviation Authority told AFP that police informed air traffic controllers about the drones between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. (23:00-00:00 GMT).

Spokesperson Daniel Ackermann said, “We concluded that we could not ensure flight safety, so we decided to restrict air traffic.”

Air traffic was halted between 03:40 and 04:40 a.m., affecting five flights, according to Swedavia, the company operating the airport, AFP reported.

The five flights were redirected to other airports or delayed.

Police said they launched an investigation into the “sabotage of the airport.”

Police spokesperson Daniel Wikdahl told Swedish media: “We suspect that the incident was deliberate, but I cannot specify the motive behind it.” He added: “Due to the confidentiality of the investigation, we cannot reveal the type of drones used.”