Germany’s DPolG police union has called for stronger protection at airports nationwide after a vehicle breached the security perimeter at Leipzig/Halle Airport. The union is seeking investment beyond statutory minimum standards in fencing, sensors, intelligent cameras and automatic alerts. The incident temporarily closed the airport’s northern runway, but passenger and cargo operations continued via the southern runway without reported restrictions.
The fence damage was discovered at about 11 p.m. on 18 October. Federal and state police searched the airport and found neither unauthorised people nor suspicious objects. Initial evidence indicated that a vehicle had driven through the barrier before leaving the site.
Two men later contacted authorities through lawyers. A 20-year-old said he had lost control of the vehicle while driving near the airport. He is under investigation, among other allegations, for leaving the scene of an accident and driving without a licence. A 32-year-old vehicle owner is also being investigated. The circumstances, the individuals’ roles and any possible motive remain under investigation.
DPolG chairman Heiko Teggatz blamed airport operators and inadequate technical protection for allowing unauthorised access to sensitive areas, while maintaining that the Federal Police had fulfilled its duties. The union also wants stricter requirements for operators and possible fines where security measures are demonstrably inadequate or repeatedly deficient.
The breach occurred weeks after a suspected explosives-laden drone was found at Leipzig/Halle, intensifying scrutiny of security at critical airport infrastructure. The northern runway reopened on 18 October at about 2 p.m.; flight operations on the southern runway continued during the police response.