Denmark imposes temporary drone flight ban ahead of European Union summit
Illustrative photo: Denmark ramps up security measures after drone provocations (Getty Images)
Denmark has banned drone flights in its airspace from September 29 to October 3 for security reasons. Violations can result in fines and up to two years in prison, reports the Danish Ministry of Transport.
Transport Minister Thomas Danielsen said the ban follows recent incidents involving unidentified drones and comes ahead of next week's European Union summit. Civilian drone flights will be prohibited during this period.
Danielsen explained that from Monday to Friday, Denmark’s airspace would be closed to all civilian drone flights and that this measure would eliminate the risk of hostile drones being mistaken for legal ones, and vice versa.
Violating the drone flight ban can result in a substantial fine and imprisonment of up to two years, according to the Danish Air Navigation Act.
The ban does not apply to military or government drones, including police and emergency service UAVs. Flights are also allowed if approved by officials at the Danish Transport Authority.
Unidentified UAVs over Denmark
On September 27, Denmark confirmed that unidentified drones were spotted the previous night over several Ministry of Defense sites. Reports indicate that "several capabilities" were involved.
Earlier, on September 25, unidentified drones flew over airports in Aalborg, Esbjerg, and Sønderborg, as well as over Skrydstrup Air Base.
NATO announced it is reinforcing its military presence in the Baltic region in response to these incursions. A missile-defense frigate, additional air-defense forces, and intelligence systems are being deployed to the area.
