Germany’s Hamburg airport remains closed as hostage situation continues

By Anadolu staff

BERLIN (AA) - Germany’s Hamburg airport suspended all the flights on Sunday morning due to an ongoing hostage situation at the apron.

Authorities said negotiations are continuing with a 35-year-old man, who held his 4-year-old daughter hostage in a car next to a passenger plane, and described the incident as a “family drama.”

“We have contact with the man, he’s open to talking to us, this is good news,” police spokeswoman Sandra Levgrun told local news channel n-tv, adding that the airport remains closed for takeoffs and landings.

The man broke through a gate at about 8 p.m. local time on Saturday, drove onto the apron, and stopped near a passenger plane which was about to take off for Türkiye, authorities said.

The police confirmed that the man previously had a dispute with his wife about their divorce and parental rights. She contacted the police earlier on Saturday about a possible child abduction, according to the police.

“The situation at the airport remains unchanged, the police operation continues. Flight operations will remain suspended until further notice,” the airport operator said in a statement on social media.

The operator asked passengers not to come to the airport and follow announcements by the authorities, as the access roads were cordoned off by the police.