Germany: Travellers advised to avoid Hamburg airport, flights cancelled

German police advise travellers to avoid Hamburg airport due to ongoing hostage situation

German police advised travellers on Sunday not to use Hamburg airport due to a developing hostage situation.

A general view of airplanes on the tarmac after a man drove through a barrier onto the grounds of the city's airport with a child in his car in Hamburg, Germany. Travellers advised to avoid Hamburg airport, flights cancelled (REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer)

The airport in the northern part of the city has been closed to passengers and flights cancelled since Saturday night when an armed man broke through an airport gate with his vehicle and fired twice into the air with a weapon, according to German news agency dpa. Authorities also said the man's wife had previously contacted them about a child abduction.

Police said the 35-year-old man had his 4-year-old daughter inside the car whom he had reportedly taken by force from the mother in a possible custody battle.

A psychologist has been negotiating with the man for hours and there was no indication other people could be harmed since all passengers had evacuated the airport, police said.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.