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2023 Hamburg Airport hostage incident
Police officers detain the suspect
LocationHamburg Airport, Hamburg, Germany
Date4-5 November 2023
8:00 p.m. – c. 2:00 p.m.[1] (CET, UTC+01:00)
Attack type
Hostage-taking
WeaponsFirearm, molotov cocktails
DeathsNone
InjuredNone
MotiveApparent child custody dispute exacerbated by psychological stress

On 4 November 2023, 20:00 CET time, an armed man drove through a security barrier and onto the tarmac at Hamburg Airport in Germany.[1][2] The man parked his car under a plane with his four-year-old daughter. The man shot a weapon twice in the air and threw burning bottles from his vehicle.[3] He was arrested without resistance ending the 18-hour standoff.[1] The authorities believe the cause was a "custody dispute".[4]

Incident

Hours before the standoff, the suspect's ex-wife, who was based in Stade, Lower Saxony, reported a possible child kidnapping to the police. At around 20:00 local time (19:00 GMT) on 4 November, a 35-year-old Turkish national, drove a rental car through a security gate at Hamburg Airport, 52 kilometers away, and parked under a Turkish Airlines aircraft demanding to be allowed on board to fly to Turkey with his daughter.[5][6][7] He fired a weapon twice in the air and threw two incendiary devices from his car.[5][6][2][8] Authorities said the commercial flight was preparing to take off, forcing the evacuation of everyone on board through a gangway.[6][9]

A spokesperson for Hamburg police said the suspect had been in an "exceptional psychological situation due to custody disputes with his ex-wife"[6] and disagreed with some decisions made by authorities in relation to his daughter's custody arrangements. The suspect also described his life as "a heap of shards".[2] In 2022, he was placed under investigation after he had travelled to Turkey with his daughter without permission from the girl's mother, who brought her back to Germany.[6] A spokesperson for prosecutors later confirmed that the suspect had no weapons permit.[5]

As a result of the incident, the airport was closed and all flights were suspended. Around half of departures and arrivals planned for 5 November were cancelled, while some flights were diverted. The airport management warned that further complications were expected to continue.[2] Hundreds of stranded passengers were put up in hotels.[6]

The incident came three weeks after German federal police received an emailed threat of an attack on an Iran Air flight arriving at the airport.[10]

Negotiations and resolution

Psychologists, negotiation specialists and special forces were deployed to the airport, while talks with the suspect were conducted in Turkish.[2] After 18 hours, the suspect surrendered to authorities "without resistance" and was arrested. His daughter was found to be unharmed.[6] Prosecutors said they were seeking to charge him on suspicion of hostage-taking, removal of a minor and violations of weapons laws.[5]

Aftermath

Operations at the airport returned to normal on 6 November, while the facility's operator promised to "implement further construction measures to strengthen possible entry points to the security area".[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c "'Hostage situation' that closed Hamburg airport ends with suspect arrested". The Guardian. 5 November 2023. Archived from the original on 5 November 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Hamburg Airport: Four-year-old hostage held on tarmac". BBC News. 4 November 2023. Archived from the original on 5 November 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  3. ^ "Hamburg airport remains closed as police deal with 'hostage situation'". Reuters. 5 November 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-11-05. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
  4. ^ "The hostage situation at Hamburg Airport ends with a man in custody and 4-year-old daughter safe". AP News. 5 November 2023. Archived from the original on 5 November 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Man in Hamburg airport hostage drama used a rental car and had no weapons permit". Associated Press. 6 November 2023. Archived from the original on 6 November 2023. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g "Hamburg Airport hostage drama is over, police say". BBC News. 5 November 2023. Archived from the original on 5 November 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  7. ^ "Hamburg airport hostage-taker gives himself up". France 24. 5 November 2023. Archived from the original on 6 November 2023. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  8. ^ "Hostage situation at Hamburg Airport ends after 18 hours". DW. 5 November 2023. Archived from the original on 5 November 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  9. ^ "Hamburg airport hostage situation that caused suspension of flights has ended, police say". CNN. 5 November 2023. Archived from the original on 6 November 2023. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  10. ^ "Flights at Hamburg Airport in Germany suspended after a threat against a plane from Iran". AP News. 9 October 2023. Archived from the original on 6 November 2023. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
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