Helsinki Airport operations disrupted after drone sighting in Uusimaa region

Finnish public broadcaster Yle reports that flights at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport were suspended early Friday after authorities closed the airspace due to a suspected drone in the Uusimaa region. The restrictions were later lifted, and the threat was declared over by 7 a.m. local time.

Yle’s reporter Eeva Kuivas, at the airport, described the scene as calm despite the disruption. “Around 5:30 a.m., an announcement said the airspace was closed,” Kuivas said. She noted that passengers were checking news updates while waiting, and seating areas were filling up as travelers awaited delayed flights.

Kuivas also reported hearing fighter jets in the area during the incident. Air traffic and maritime routes in the Gulf of Finland had been rerouted starting at 4 a.m., following a hazard warning issued by rescue authorities at 3:49 a.m. for the Uusimaa region.

By 7 a.m., officials confirmed the suspected drone no longer posed a risk, and the warning was canceled. Authorities advised the public to keep at least 150 meters away if they encounter any drones.

Some incoming flights to Helsinki-Vantaa were diverted to Rovaniemi, Tallinn, and Stockholm during the disruption.