Passenger operations at Hamburg’s airport were halted and flights were called off on Saturday evening following a security breach, as per the German news agency DPA.
A car forcefully entered the airport, leading to an extended standoff that continued into the early hours of Sunday.
According to federal police, a man armed with a gun breached a gate using his car and discharged his weapon into the air twice.
The authorities later informed that the man, aged 35, had a child, believed to be four years old, in the vehicle, and it was suspected that he had forcibly taken the child from the mother amidst a potential custody dispute.
Accordingly, German police advised travelers not to use Hamburg airport due to a developing hostage situation.
The Hamburg police engaged in dialogue with the individual, with a psychologist also involved in communications, aiming to resolve the situation peacefully. It was noted that there was minimal risk to others as the airport had been evacuated.
Hamburg police deployed significant emergency response units to the scene and described the incident as a stationary hostage scenario on a social media platform known as X, previously Twitter.
Special forces and negotiation experts were present at the scene, according to the police. Even in the early Sunday morning, the standoff persisted.
On the airport’s apron, an extensive operation was underway, and the incident remained active into Sunday morning, as confirmed by Hamburg police.
