An armed man drove a car through a barrier onto the grounds of Hamburg airport on Saturday evening, according to local police, before firing a weapon twice in the air.
Police said there were no reported injuries, but the airport announced that it was temporarily closed for takeoffs and landings.
The incident occurred around 8pm local time, police said. After firing the shots, the perpetrator threw two burning bottles out of the vehicle, adding confusion to the scene.
A police spokesperson revealed that a child was in the car and it seemed to be a custody dispute. The mother informed the police that the father had been in contact with her regarding his intentions.
According to German outlet Bild, the man is said to have set several fires in the airport area. He threw two burning bottles out of the car, resembling Molotov cocktails, as stated by Thomas Gerbert, spokesperson for the federal police.
The police separately shared on social media platform X that they were carrying out a significant operation and were treating it as a “static hostage situation.”
“We have a large presence of emergency services at the scene. Currently, we are handling it as a static hostage situation,” stated the Hamburg police on X.
“Due to a police action on the apron of Hamburg Airport, there will be no takeoffs and landings today, November 4. All affected passengers are advised to contact their respective airlines,” announced the airport on its website.
The suspect’s wife alleged a possible child abduction.
A spokesperson for the airport confirmed that 27 flights had been impacted.
Hamburg Airport communicated early Sunday morning on X that passengers should anticipate cancellations and delays throughout the entire day.
Local media reported that negotiations with the man continued throughout the night. He has his four-year-old daughter with him in the vehicle and supposedly intends to travel to Turkey by plane.
