Dusseldorf Airport Security Breached, Thousands Evacuated
Jackie Reddy March 01, 2019
Three unauthorized persons entered a secure area at Dusseldorf International Airport (DUS) on Friday morning, causing the facility to be evacuated. While the airport was eventually re-opened, airport authorities have said that the breach impacted on thousands of passengers and delayed many flights.
A security breach at Dusseldorf International Airport (DUS) resulted in the evacuation of the facility on Friday morning, Reuters reports. Commenting on the incident, a local policewoman explained to the news agency that three unauthorized passengers had breached a secure area within the airport.
The Independent reports that the evacuation at DUS took place at 7 a.m. local time.
As a consequence of this major breach, all departing travelers were required to exit all three of the airport’s terminals and required to undergo fresh security checks. This included travelers who had already boarded their flights.
Dusseldorf Airport delays on a Friday #FridaysForFuture pic.twitter.com/JxoFjxvL4d
— Somashconfusion (@mundunu) March 1, 2019
Following police checks, the terminals were eventually re-opened.
At present, it is reported that local police have apprehended two of the three persons involved in the breach for questioning. Earlier on Friday, authorities at DUS confirmed that the breach will have an impact on around 6,500 of its passengers. It also added that delays should be expected.
The Independent states that regional flights to some European cities had been canceled as a result of the incident.
According to statistics released by the airport, DUS served 24.6 million passengers in 2017 and has a daily average of 607 flight movements, making it the biggest airport in Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia region. The facility serves 70 different airlines and carriers, offering passengers connections to 200 destinations across the globe.
The disruption was noted by a number of FlyerTalk forum users, who posted about their experiences at DUS. Follow the discussion in the forums.
[Source: FlyerTalk/ Row9]
If you think you can fly with a disruptive (and restrained) passenger on board for an additional 4 hours while returning to the airport of origin, I don't see why you wouldn't be able to fly 6-7 hours to the final destination. What is the reason for this seemingly moronic policy?