Police in the northern German city of Hamburg are currently dealing with what appears to be a hostage situation at the airport. The incident began when a man drove through a security barrier and onto the tarmac. According to the authorities, there are at least two people in the car, including a child.
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Hamburg airport is currently experiencing a disruption in air traffic due to the ongoing hostage situation on the tarmac. Local authorities have reported that a child has been allegedly kidnapped by their father as part of a family dispute.
“The police operation is still ongoing, and air traffic will remain suspended until further notice,” stated the airport management in northern Germany via their X account, previously known as Twitter.
Police spokesperson Sandra Levgrün informed the public television channel NDR that they have deployed police psychologists and are currently engaging in negotiations with the perpetrator to reach a peaceful resolution. She emphasized that the fact that the father has been in contact with the authorities for an extended period of time is a positive indication.
According to a police spokesperson, on Saturday evening around 8:00 p.m. local time (7:00 p.m. GMT), the armed suspect breached the airport gate with his car and proceeded onto the tarmac. He fired two shots into the air and also threw two burning bottles.
The police believe that a “child custody dispute” is the underlying motive for this incident.
Authorities have confirmed that the father and his child are still in the car. The daily newspaper Bild reported that the man is 35 years old, of Turkish nationality, and the child is a 4-year-old girl.
The negotiations are being conducted in Turkish, according to the police.
Reports suggest that the wife of the suspect had alerted the police about the kidnapping.
As a result of the situation, 17 flights scheduled to land in Hamburg on Saturday evening, carrying a total of 3,200 passengers, had to be redirected. On Sunday, there are 286 planned flights with approximately 34,500 passengers, but it is unlikely that any of these flights will be able to land until the situation is resolved.
