The hostage situation at Hamburg Airport came to an end on Sunday afternoon after approximately 18 hours. A man had driven his vehicle through the airport gates with his 4-year-old daughter as a passenger. Thankfully, the girl was unharmed, and the man was arrested. The arrest was made without any resistance from the man. Prior to this incident, the man’s ex-wife had contacted the authorities regarding a potential child abduction.
According to reports, the armed man broke through an airport gate and fired shots into the air before parking his vehicle near a terminal building. The man, identified as a 35-year-old Turkish citizen, had forcibly taken his daughter from her mother as part of an ongoing custody battle. During the standoff, a psychologist negotiated with the man for several hours. Fortunately, no one was injured, and all passengers had been evacuated from the airport.
On Sunday evening, the police revealed that the suspect was already under investigation for allegedly kidnapping his daughter in March 2022. He had taken his daughter to Turkey without authorization, but the mother managed to bring the child back to Germany. German privacy rules prevented the release of the suspect’s name.
During the hostage situation, over 100 flights were canceled, and several planes had to be rerouted. Travelers were greatly affected, with many being accommodated in nearby hotels. Flight operations at the airport resumed after almost 24 hours.
Hamburg Mayor Peter Tschentscher expressed relief that no one was harmed during the incident. He thanked the police for their efforts and wished strength for the mother, the child, and their family to overcome the traumatic experience.
The article was written by Kirsten Grieshaber.