Bomb threat shuts down Stuttgart airport. Photo: Shutterstock An unusual security incident caused the suspension of air operations at Stuttgart Airport in Germany today, October 5, after a passenger claimed to have a bomb in his possession.
According to the German Federal Police's summary update, a 24-year-old passenger told an airport employee, while in the secure area, that there was a bomb in his luggage.
Following the threat, air activity was suspended around 4:30 PM, and the entire security area at the airport was evacuated.
Police forces searched the area, and ultimately found no indication of any real danger.
Around 6:05 PM, police operations ended, the secure area was cleared, and air activity gradually resumed.
In total, the shutdown in the passenger handling area lasted about an hour and a half.
The shutdown also directly affected aircraft traffic: 10 inbound flights were forced to divert to other airports during the incident.
The 24-year-old passenger was removed from the flight he was scheduled to take to Hurghada, Egypt.
An investigation was opened against him on suspicion of disturbing public order by threatening to commit a crime. After police completed their investigation, they released him.
As of the last official update, activity at Stuttgart Airport has resumed, but after the evacuation of the secure area, passengers had to go through security checks again, so disruptions continued even after the airport reopened.