Hamburg Airport: No omissions in airport security
Despite the hostage-taking on the apron of the airport, Hamburg Airport sees no shortcomings in the security of the site. "The security of the site complies with all legal requirements and largely exceeds them," an airport spokeswoman told the German Press Agency on Sunday. Nevertheless, given the size of the airport - the equivalent of almost 800 soccer pitches - it could not be ruled out that "highly criminal, unauthorized access to the security area could be carried out using brute force".
The spokeswoman emphasized: "In order to ensure the safety of air traffic, alarm chains have been established in addition to structural measures, and these have worked perfectly." Flight operations were suspended immediately after the unauthorized access and the perpetrator was located. "Further information on security-related details is not possible," explained the spokesperson.
Due to a custody dispute, a 35-year-old armed man broke through barriers at the airport in his car on Saturday evening and drove onto the apron. He has been holding his four-year-old daughter hostage there for more than twelve hours. Last Generation activists had already gained access to the tarmac in mid-July and brought flight operations to a standstill for hours.
According to the airport spokeswoman, the analysis of the incident with the Last Generation activists - they had cut their way through the perimeter fence and then used bicycles to get onto the tarmac - has not produced any new findings. "There are still no new requirements for critical infrastructure facilities," said the spokeswoman. The airport is currently testing new camera and fence sensor systems. "In addition, the patrolling of the fence system by security staff has been increased in the long term."
Despite the past incidents, such as the unauthorized access by Last Generation activists and the hostage situation, Hamburg Airport continues to prioritize air traffic security by implementing measures like establishing alarm chains and enhancing fence patrols. However, due to the airport's vast size and potential vulnerabilities, the possibility of a highly criminal, unauthorized access to the security area cannot be entirely ruled out.
Source: www.dpa.com
