Hamburg airport remains closed as police deal with 'hostage situation'

05 November 2023 - 10:01
By Joern Poltz and Tom Sims
Officers of German BFE police unit are standing on the apron of Hamburg Airport on November 4, 2023 in Hamburg, Germany.
Image: Gregor Fischer/Getty Images Officers of German BFE police unit are standing on the apron of Hamburg Airport on November 4, 2023 in Hamburg, Germany.

Hamburg airport remained closed on Sunday, authorities said, as police dealt with a hostage situation they say likely involves a custody dispute.

The airport closed for all take-offs and landings on Saturday evening after police arrived in large numbers on the scene to deal with a man who drove through a barrier onto the grounds of the airport with a child.

The car with the 35-year-old man and 4-year-old child was parked under a plane, a police spokesperson said.

“The operation continues. Our negotiators are in contact with the person in the car,” the police posted on Sunday on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Police said the child's mother had told them the father had been in contact with her.

Police would not confirm their earlier statements that the man was armed and had fired shots.

Reuters