Police in Germany’s Hamburg city have arrested a man and rescued a child at the centre of a hostage standoff at the airport, ending an 18-hour crisis that had forced authorities to close the busy air hub.

A man, who police on Sunday said was suspected of carrying a gun and possibly explosives, drove a vehicle through the gates of the airport on Saturday night, officers said.
Police said the 35-year-old man was with his four-year-old daughter and was thought to be involved in a custody dispute.

“The hostage situation is over,” the city’s police force wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“The suspect got out of the car with his daughter. The man was arrested by the emergency services without resistance. The child appears to be unharmed.”

The apparent family drama started on Saturday in Stade in nearby Lower Saxony, where the man’s wife was staying. The woman had contacted the state police about a possible abduction.