Hamburg Airport suspends flights after “threat of attack on aircraft”: Police attack Iranian plane
- When the plane landed at 12:20 p.m., police officers boarded the jet with 198 passengers and 16 crew members
Air traffic at Germany’s Hamburg airport was suspended this morning after threats of an attack on a plane from the Iranian capital Tehran.
German police boarded the plane after it landed safely at the international airport in the north of the country and conducted a search, following up on a previously emailed threat.
The Iranian plane landed in Hamburg at around 12:20 p.m. with 198 passengers and 16 crew members and was then subjected to a security check. The plane and the luggage on board were also searched.
The terminal stopped takeoffs and landings at 12:40 p.m. local time, a spokesman said. Police said they were taking the threat seriously but had not yet released further details.
Hamburg Airport officials have since announced that air traffic at the airport has resumed.
The police operation takes place on the first day of a special meeting of the German and French governments in Hamburg, which is also attended by Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Emmanuel Macron.
Air traffic at Germany’s Hamburg airport (pictured) was suspended this morning after threats of an attack on a plane from the Iranian capital Tehran were made
It also came amid rising international tensions after Israel faced a sustained and brutal attack by Hamas gunmen over the weekend.
Hundreds of Israelis were killed in the attacks – including revelers at a festival. Israel responded with a wave of deadly retaliatory air strikes on the Gaza Strip.