An unusual incident at Cologne Bonn Airport in western Germany has once again brought aviation security into the spotlight. Two Romanian passengers who were late for the Wizz Air flight departing for Bucharest, the capital of Romania, at 21:30 local time on Friday, made a dangerous attempt to board the aircraft.
After the final call for the flight was made, the 28- and 47-year-old passengers arrived at the terminal area. Once the staff had closed the doors and completed the aircraft’s departure preparations, the pair broke the glass of the emergency exit door. They passed through the shattered glass, went directly onto the runway, and began running towards the aircraft, whose engines were already running.
Airport security units intervened immediately and detained the passengers. In a statement, Cologne police said: “Criminal proceedings have been initiated against the individuals for unauthorized entry onto the airport runway, and an investigation is underway regarding the violation of the aviation security act.”
The incident was recorded moment by moment by an airport staff member, and the footage caused a nationwide stir. The passengers’ attempt to approach a moving aircraft not only highlighted a major security breach but also put both of their lives at risk.
Cologne Bonn Airport officials announced that additional security measures are being evaluated following the incident.
