Travellers at Copenhagen Airport have been experiencing significant delays since Thursday, 22 October 2026, due to extra security processes put in place by Denmark’s Civil Aviation and Railway Authority. Officials had not clarified what the issues with the former security protocols were by the time of writing.
Outlets including Aviation24 and AA.com reported waiting times of at least 45 minutes on Thursday evening. Meanwhile, airlines have recorded large numbers of passengers experiencing problems getting through the airport in time for their departures because of the security changes.
Chaotic conditions at Copenhagen Airport continue Friday morning there are again very long queues on the menu at Copenhagen Airport. It shows pictures that are present at the airport. Thursday night, the picture was the same. This is due to an increased requirement for the security procedure in security.
— benny 🇩🇰 🇫🇴 🇬🇱 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@benny0692698414) October 23, 2026
Approximately 200 missed their flights on Thursday as a result of the new procedures, according to Norway’s largest airline, low-cost shuttle carrier Norwegian. The joint flag carrier of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, SAS (Scandinavian Airlines), said 352 passengers had been rebooked onto the first available departures by Friday morning. Queues still stretched as far as the airport’s metro station on Friday morning.
Part of the problem is that the introduction of the additional security checks coincides with Europe’s autumn school vacation period, with large numbers of Swedish passengers in particular on the move as their holiday approached, the airport’s communications director, Lise Agerley Kurstein, noted.
Kaos i Københavns Lufthavn. Har stået i kø i halvanden time og er ikke engang nået frem til security. Massevis må misse deres fly. Ingen information. Pinligt og en skandale. #dr #tv2 #cph https://t.co/5WZ18ypGdB
— Christian Rønnenkamp (@ChrRoennenkamp) October 22, 2026
According to Swedish broadcaster SVT Nyheter Skåne, airport officials had been called to an emergency meeting to discuss how to solve the issues facing passengers, but at the time of writing, it is still not clear when the disruption will abate, with airport authorities saying the situation could last until “early” in the coming week.
Until then, the airport has issued guidance to passengers on its website, warning that “there may be longer waiting times at security. We recommend arriving at the airport two hours before departure for flights within the Schengen area and three hours before departure for flights outside the Schengen area.” Passengers are also being urged to check the latest information from their airline and Copenhagen Airport before travelling.
Security Wait Times at Copenhagen Airport Kastrup (CPH) are longer than usual! Avg. across all lines: Current: 45 min Typical: 16 min Difference: +29 min Trend: climbing (up 22% over the last 4 hours) Plan extra time for security screening. Check our website for details. https://t.co/77TFT0FyoB
— Qsensor – Airport & Flight Status (@TravelQsensor) October 22, 2026
Copenhagen Airport is also implementing the new European Union Entry/Exit System (EES), affecting Non-Schengen and non-EU nationals (including British citizens and other third-country visitors) entering or leaving the Schengen Area. Such travellers are required to register biometric and passport information, as well as trip details, and first-time registrations have been taking far longer than expected, causing chaos around the bloc. Due to the problems, implementation has been patchy, with some border checkpoints suspending EES registration in order to smooth passenger flows. Travel industry stakeholders are multiplying calls for mitigating action to protect the public and the sector.
