The hostage situation at Hamburg Airport has ended, as reported on Sunday via the X platform by law enforcement.
“The hostage situation is over. The suspect had left the car with his daughter. The emergency services arrested the man without resistance. The child appears to be unharmed,” per a Hamburg police statement.
What Happened?
At around 8 p.m. on Saturday, a man broke through a barrier with his car and drove onto the airport tarmac, law enforcement officials reported. The man proceeded to fire several shots into the air and threw a device resembling a Molotov cocktail from his vehicle. Police promptly responded by extinguishing the fire. The individual then stopped his car adjacent to a Turkish Airlines plane with passengers on board. The passengers were safely brought to a secure location, and the aircraft was evacuated. Additionally, other planes parked on the tarmac were evacuated.
German media sources reported that an armed 35-year-old man from Buxtehude is said to have violently snatched his four-year-old daughter from her mother, resulting in a suspected custody dispute, according to a state police spokesman. The man's wife, who is from Stade, had previously reported a possible child abduction to the state police. The police, therefore, assume there is a custody dispute.
News sources reported that a substantial police presence, including special forces and psychologists, was deployed at the airport. Negotiations with the man, reportedly conducted in Turkish, lasted several hours. “We have criminal psychologists on duty, and we are currently speaking to the perpetrator. We are relying on a negotiated solution here,” said a police spokeswoman on Sunday morning. The man wanted to speak to the police, which was “very positive.”
Nevertheless, there was initially no noticeable progress. The man had been holding his daughter hostage for over 18 hours. His initial motivations were unclear, as he had not made any demands for money. There was speculation that he may have intended to travel to Turkiye with his young daughter.
On Sunday morning, the police characterized the situation as "static" and posted an update on X, formerly known as Twitter, indicating that negotiations were ongoing and the operational response was still active. Access to the airport was impossible as it remained cordoned off over a wide area. It was not until early Sunday afternoon that the police announced the hostage situation had concluded.
The airport reported that for Sunday, 286 flights, comprising 139 departures and 147 arrivals, were scheduled, involving around 34,500 passengers. As of Sunday morning, 61 flights, including 34 departures and 27 arrivals, had been canceled. The preceding Saturday evening saw cancellations of six departures and four arrivals, and 17 incoming flights were redirected to alternate airports, affecting approximately 3,200 passengers across 27 flight movements. Hamburg Airport indicated that flight cancellations and delays would continue throughout the day.