Berlin Brandenburg Airport evacuated the public area of Terminal 1 on Thursday evening after a woman told federal police she had a dangerous substance in her handbag. The alert triggered a hazardous-materials response, briefly disrupted operations at the airport and affected rail access to the terminal, while flights already prepared for departure and inbound services were allowed to continue.
Federal police could not initially rule out danger because the substance was unidentified, prompting the precautionary evacuation and a wider emergency response including fire crews. Airport staff shifted passenger processing to Terminal 2 where possible, and the airport said the terminal was released again at about 20:45. Regular operations were expected to resume on Friday.
The incident did not lead to a full airport shutdown, but it did cause delays and some cancellations during the evening. Rail services to the airport were also temporarily interrupted. The case underscored how quickly a security or hazmat suspicion at a major hub can force rapid containment measures and operational rerouting even before any threat is confirmed.