German police are investigating a security incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport after a section of perimeter fencing was found damaged late on 17 October. Initial evidence indicates that a vehicle drove through the barrier, but neither the vehicle nor its driver has been located. The northern runway was temporarily closed during searches, while passenger and cargo operations continued via the southern runway, including DHL flights.
The damage was discovered shortly before 23:00 local time in the airport’s northern section at Schkeuditz, beside a publicly accessible road. Federal and Saxony state police searched the grounds for intruders, suspicious objects and the suspected vehicle, finding none during the initial operation. Further searches continued on 18 October.
Authorities have not determined whether the incident was accidental or deliberate. Airport spokesperson Uwe Schuhart said the damaged structure was a perimeter fence rather than an emergency gate and was regularly inspected. No camera covered that specific section.
The site is about two kilometres from three Russian Antonov An-124 cargo aircraft grounded at Leipzig/Halle since 2022 under European Union sanctions linked to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Police have established no connection between the aircraft and the fence damage. The incident also follows the discovery of an explosives-laden drone at the airport slightly more than two months earlier, although no link has been identified.