As of 5 p.m.
At around 6:30 a.m. this morning, the Federal Police evacuated the security area of the terminals at Cologne/Bonn Airport as a precautionary measure. The reason for this measure was a temporary technical malfunction in the operation of new CT technology at the security checkpoint, which has recently been put into use.
Based on the assessment of the situation and security requirements, the Federal Police ordered the evacuation of the security area. Around 800 passengers who were there at the time had to leave and undergo another security check. Access to the security area was temporarily closed during the measure.
After the Federal Police had inspected and searched all premises in the security area of the terminals and reopened them, operations were able to resume at around 9:30 a.m. Access to the security checkpoint was reopened.
Meanwhile, technicians from the airport and the manufacturer of the CT technology worked intensively to identify the fault and rectify it as quickly as possible. During the investigations, it was determined that the problem was a technical fault.
Due to the evacuation of the terminal, the temporary closure of access to the security area and the limited screening capacity in the meantime, there were considerable disruptions to operations and long queues. Flights were also delayed as a result. Airport and authority staff were on site in the terminal at all times to provide assistance. Passengers with later departure times were also asked to go through security checks at a later time. The airport distributed water and snacks to guests. Overall, the situation remained calm and orderly. Operations returned to normal in the course of the afternoon and the queues were largely cleared.
"I would like to apologise to all passengers and partners affected and I know how stressful such disruptions are for our passengers and all process partners. I would like to express my sincere thanks to all passengers for their patience and understanding. Safety is our top priority at all times. That is why everyone involved acted consistently and in accordance with safety regulations,‘ said airport director Thilo Schmid. ’I would like to express my special thanks to our employees, our colleagues at the security authorities and our partners, who acted professionally, calmly and solution-oriented in a challenging situation."
Following a functional test and operational and system tests by the manufacturer, the airport, the security service provider and the Federal Police, the three CT lanes were approved for recommissioning by the Federal Police and have since been put back into operation. Due to a technical malfunction on one of the three lanes, the operation of the CT lanes was suspended as a precautionary measure in order to carry out further checks and technical tests and to prevent situations such as the one that occurred this Friday morning as far as possible. Due to the current renovation work being carried out during ongoing operations, there are temporarily fewer operational reserves available at the security checkpoint, making it more difficult to compensate for unforeseeable technical malfunctions during operation. The airport is working intensively with its process partners to get the CT lanes back up and running.
Background
At the beginning of 2025, the airport company took over the organisation of aviation security checks for passengers from the Federal Police and has been successfully managing them on its own since then. In the coming months, the airport will now implement the comprehensive redesign of the control area and the conversion to state-of-the-art CT technology. The safety of passengers, employees and visitors remains the top priority. All processes and the technology used comply with the highest safety standards and official requirements.
Preparatory measures for the conversion began after the summer holidays, with the redesign starting in October and due to be completed in summer 2026. Cologne/Bonn will then be the first airport in Germany to have state-of-the-art CT technology across all security lanes. The security checkpoint will thus be one of the most modern in Europe. The airport is investing a total of €25 million in the design and equipment of the new security checkpoint.
The measures are part of the ‘Next Chapter’ programme, which is giving the airport a completely new, modern look. The programme also includes 18 new catering units, the renovation of the arrival and departure areas, the reopening of the hand luggage exit, the comprehensive renewal of the furniture and the implementation of modern lounge concepts for travellers and guests.
As of 10:30 a.m.
The Federal Police evacuated the security area of the terminals at Cologne/Bonn Airport at around 6:30 a.m. this morning as a precautionary measure. The reason for this measure was a temporary technical malfunction at the security checkpoint during the introduction phase of new technology. As a result, approximately 800 passengers who were in the security area had to leave it in accordance with regulations in order to undergo a new security check. Access to the security area was temporarily closed during the measure. After the measure was completed, regular operations resumed at around 9:30 a.m. Access to the security area was reopened. The restart is causing delays in procedures and departures, with one departure cancelled. The situation in the terminals remained calm and was managed by staff on site. Passengers were kept informed in the terminals. Flight operations were not suspended during the measure. Landings took place as scheduled.
The airport apologises for the inconvenience and asks affected passengers for their understanding.
