Berlin Airport Reopened After Security Scare Triggered by Threatening Letter

Terminal 1 at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) resumed normal operations on Thursday evening after authorities evacuated the facility due to a security alert. The disruption began around 5:45 p.m. when a woman approached a service desk and informed staff that she had a dangerous substance in her luggage.

“A potential threat from the unidentified substance could not be ruled out,” a police spokesperson told the dpa news agency at the time. Federal police, which oversee transportation security in Germany, quickly evacuated the terminal as a precaution.

By approximately 8:45 p.m., police declared the all-clear, confirming that no one was in danger throughout the incident. Authorities declined to disclose specifics about the substance pending further analysis, which is expected to take several days.

Despite the termination of the police operation, airport officials warned that delays and some cancellations would persist through the evening. An airport spokeswoman advised passengers to monitor flight status updates and airport boards closely before arriving.

“Flights were not stopped,” she clarified, noting that regular operations are scheduled to return on Friday. Approximately 30 flights experienced delays, with authorities attempting to minimize cancellations by redirecting departures to Terminal 2 where possible.

Public transportation was also affected, with Berlin’s S-Bahn service and Deutsche Bahn reporting widespread disruptions on lines connecting to the airport during the operation.

Berlin Brandenburg Airport, also known as Willy Brandt Airport in Schönefeld, opened in 2020 and handles roughly 26 million passengers annually. It is Germany’s third-busiest airport and serves as the primary hub for federal government flights. The last significant security-related disruption occurred in March, involving a potentially suspicious aerial object rather than a terminal threat.