After a gunman crashed his car through a security gate and onto the apron near crowded passenger planes, he threw Molotov cocktails onto the tarmac while holding his 4-year-old daughter hostage. This led to the evacuation of Hamburg Airport and the suspension of flight operations late on Saturday night.
All aircraft operations at Hamburg Airport were suspended while heavily armed police evacuated the airport and cordoned off the area. Thousands of travelers were affected on Saturday, and Sunday will see a significant increase in the number of passengers affected by cancellations due to the hostage situation that is still developing.
It is believed that the man’s wife reported that he had taken their daughter and was on his way to the airport to the police shortly after he crashed his Audi into the secure airside area of Hamburg Airport on Saturday.
The man crashed his Audi near a Turkish Airlines plane that was parked at a gate on Saturday night after smashing through the security gate. According to local media reports, the man has requested permission to travel to Turkey by plane.
Despite having people on board when the incident occurred, the plane was swiftly evacuated. According to a police spokesperson, no injuries have been reported thus far.
At 6:40 a.m. on Sunday, the Hamburg police department reported that the operation was still ongoing and that specialized negotiation teams were getting in touch with the car’s occupants.
The man is thought to be armed, and according to early reports, he entered the Hamburg Airport apron and fired at least two shots into the air. The suspect, according to German tabloid Bild, is a 35-year-old man who is originally from Turkey.
While the police operation continues, the airport’s access roads have been blocked off, public transportation has been halted, and the main terminal buildings have been closed. Hamburg Airport issued a warning on Sunday morning, saying that flight operations would be suspended indefinitely.
