Spanish Man in Rush for Plane Causes Cologne Security Scare

Spanish Man in Rush for Plane Causes Cologne Security Scare

BERLIN — A Spanish man in a rush for his plane caused a security scare at Germany's Cologne-Bonn airport Monday when he skirted security screening, causing authorities to shut down and evacuate a terminal and stop all departures from it for more than two hours, police said.

The airport's Terminal 1 was shut down at around 11:30 a.m. (0830 GMT) as police scoured the area for the 62-year-old man and was reopened after he had been apprehended. About 2,500 passengers were delayed because of the incident.

Airport police said the man told them that as he rushed for his flight to Portugal he looked for the most direct route, accidentally going into the secure area through an exit, the dpa news agency reported. Police didn't immediately announce any charges.

A similar incident occurred at the same airport in March, when Terminal 2 was temporarily shut down after a 23-year-old woman went around security controls. Police were able to find her and determined that she had simply been in a rush to catch her plane, but that incident meant delays for about 1,000 travelers.

source: nytimes