COPENHAGEN, Denmark — The airport in Norway’s second-largest city briefly closed Wednesday after area residents spotted at least one drone nearby, authorities said, according to AP.
The Norwegian army and state-owned airports operator Avinor were notified after the first drone sighting at Bergen Airport was reported at 4:15am, police spokesman Ørjan Djuvik said. Other sightings were reported later.
“There can also be observations that could be other phenomenon, for instance weather,” Djuvik said. “We are unsure whether it is one or more drones, but we are sure that there is at least one.”
Norwegian news agency NTB said the airport in Bergen is located near Norway’s main naval base and the air space was closed. The Haakonsvern base is one of northern Europe’s largest maritime military bases.
North of Bergen, a drone also was reported near the small, domestic Foerde airport, which also closed temporarily, NTB said.
Police said no suspects had been identified. At least seven Russian citizens were detained over the past few weeks for flying drones or taking photographs of sensitive sites in Norway.
A 47-year-old man with dual Russian and British citizenship was jailed for two weeks on suspicion of flying drones on Norway’s Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and breaching sanctions which came into force after Russia went to war against Ukraine, NTB reported.
Under Norwegian law, it is prohibited for aircraft operated by Russian companies or citizens “to land on, take off from or fly over Norwegian territory.” Norway is not a member of the European Union but mirrors its moves.
“It is not acceptable that foreign intelligence is flying drones over Norwegian airports. Russians are not allowed to fly drones in Norway,” Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said, according to Norwegian broadcaster NRK. “We do not want anyone to fly this type of craft over important installations in Norway.”
Bergen Airport was shut down at around 6:30am and reopened 2½ hours later. With 15 gates, it’s Norway’s second-largest airport and serves more than 6 million passengers a year, according to the airport’s website.
Numerous drone sightings have been reported near Norwegian offshore oil and gas platforms and infrastructure in recent weeks.
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