Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) evacuated Terminal 1 on Thursday evening following a security incident involving a potential threat from luggage. The Federal Police, which oversees transportation security in Germany, initiated the evacuation after receiving reports of a dangerous substance.
A spokesperson told the DPA news agency that a woman alerted security staff to the presence of an unidentified hazardous material in her baggage. “A potential threat from the unidentified substance could not be ruled out,” the spokesperson stated, confirming that a luggage danger alert had been issued.
Witnesses at the scene, including travelers and a German reporter, shared footage on social media showing crowds gathered outside the terminal and emergency vehicles positioned near the lower-level entrance. At the time of the report, the airport website did not display an immediate acknowledgment of the disruption, though several departures from Terminal 1 around 7 p.m. local time were marked as at least slightly delayed.
BER, also known as Willy Brandt Airport and located in Schönefeld, is Berlin’s busiest airport and Germany’s third busiest since its opening in 2020. It handles approximately 26 million passengers annually and serves as the primary hub for federal government flights. The situation remains under investigation.
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