Berlin, September 4th, 2026 (The Berlin Spectator) – Police cleared part of Terminal 1 at Berlin’s BER Airport on Thursday evening after a woman reported carrying a possibly dangerous substance. The area was reopened late in the evening once investigators found no danger.
German-language publications quoted a police spokesperson who said the woman told an officer at a Federal Police service point that she was carrying a hazardous substance. “A danger involving the unidentified substance could not be ruled out,” the spokesperson said, explaining why the hazardous materials alert was triggered. It remained unclear whether the woman was still in police custody.
The airport operator confirmed the incident, saying Federal Police triggered the alert at around 5:45 p.m. local time over the suspected hazardous substance. For safety reasons, the public area of Terminal 1 was cleared. Aircraft already prepared for departure were able to take off as scheduled, and inbound planes were allowed to land. Only the public area was evacuated. The zone behind security checkpoints was not affected.
Terminal 2 Handled Overflow
Passengers were asked to leave the building Thursday evening. Fire crews inspected the cleared area afterward.
By around 8:45 p.m., police lifted the measure. A Federal Police spokesperson said there had been no danger at any point, though he did not disclose details about the substance in question. Results of the examination are expected within the coming days.
Passenger handling was shifted “as far as possible” to Terminal 2, the airport operator said. Delays and some flight cancellations continued through the end of operations because of the police action, and passengers were urged to check flight status with their airlines and on-site displays. Flight operations were not suspended, the spokesperson stressed, though takeoffs and landings were limited for a time. Regular operations resumed on Friday.
Deutsche Bahn train service between Schönefeld and BER was temporarily interrupted during the police operation.
One passenger who experienced the disruption firsthand was Thibault Heck who had just landed from Zurich. Speaking to the “Tagesspiegel” daily, Heck described a “relatively orderly chaos”. He said his first reaction on hearing the captain’s announcement was unease, particularly given recent events such as the drone incident in Leipzig.
His flight’s passengers waited about half an hour on the plane before being allowed to disembark, then were rerouted through a crowded Terminal 2, a process he called “a bit awkward” with luggage. Reaching the S-Bahn afterward proved impossible, he said, describing a heavy police presence and blocked access to the station. He eventually rented a car-sharing vehicle from the parking garage to get home. Despite the inconvenience, Heck said he had understanding for the response.
BER’s flight operations were last disrupted in March of this year, when a suspected drone sighting prompted a precautionary halt. No object was ultimately located.
