Germany: Security alert halts flight at Cologne/Bonn airport

"Flight operations at Cologne/Bonn Airport were briefly suspended on Friday after a security incident. Federal police said departures had to be suspended because the secure area needed to be closed off. Why did Cologne/Bonn Airport stop flights? A spokesperson said the security screening checkpoint was shut at 6:37 a.m., and Terminal 1 and 2 security zones were cleared as a precautionary measure."

"German public broadcaster WDR reported that employees had identified suspicious items in a bag. These items were clearly flagged as potentially dangerous on the security monitors, and the bag should have been removed from the system. However, instead of directing the bag to a separate conveyor belt for further inspection, the hand luggage was passed along the conveyor belt back to the passenger."

Flight operations at Cologne/Bonn Airport were briefly suspended after the secure area was closed off and departures were stopped. The security screening checkpoint was shut at 6:37 a.m., and Terminal 1 and 2 security zones were cleared as a precaution. There was no immediate danger to life or the safety of passengers or staff. Police could not initially provide details because investigations were still ongoing. New security technology had been introduced the previous day and investigators are examining whether it played a role. Employees identified suspicious items in a passenger's bag that were flagged as potentially dangerous, but the hand luggage was returned to the passenger instead of being diverted for inspection.

Read at www.dw.com