Hostage situation at Hamburg airport ends with suspect arrested

The hostage situation at Hamburg airport has concluded with the suspect and his daughter exiting a car, police said on Sunday, ending an 18-hour ordeal that had closed northern Germany’s busiest airport.

The suspect was arrested without resistance and the child appeared not to be injured, the police said on social media platform X.

Earlier, German police on Sunday advised travellers not to use Hamburg airport where an armed man was reported to be holding his four-year-old daughter hostage.

The airport had been closed to passengers and flights since Saturday night when the man broke through a security barrier with his vehicle and fired a weapon twice into the air, according to German news agency dpa.

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Authorities said the man’s wife had previously contacted them about a child abduction. Police said the 35-year-old man had the girl inside the car after reportedly taking her from her mother by force in a possible custody battle.

A psychologist negotiated with the man for hours and there was no indication that other people could be harmed because the airport has been evacuated, police said.

The mother of the abducted girl arrived at the airport on Sunday and was receiving psychological support, dpa reported. A paediatrician was also present to look after the girl once the hostage situation was over.

“The mother naturally wants to get to her child as quickly as possible,” said Malte Stueben, the head of the German Red Cross crisis intervention team in Hamburg.

Hundreds of people whose flights could not depart on Saturday night because of the situation were put up at hotels nearby. Arriving planes were either rerouted to other German airports or flights were cancelled.

Hamburg Airport said on its website on Sunday afternoon that take-offs and landings had resumed.

“However, there are still considerable cancellations and delays today. Please keep an eye on your flight status and contact your airline if necessary.” – AP/Reuters