Departures at Cologne Bonn Airport have been temporarily suspended following a disruption linked to the airport’s security area.

Outbound flights cannot currently depart because the airport’s security zone has been closed. Authorities have not yet provided official details about the nature of the incident.

Passengers are being advised to expect significant delays and possible cancellations as airport operations remain partially frozen.

According to German broadcaster WDR, the disruption may be connected to a technical failure involving newly installed screening equipment. The report points to passenger control scanners that were recently introduced as part of an upgraded security system, with the possibility that the machines may have been operating incorrectly.

If the equipment did malfunction, it raises the theoretical risk that prohibited items could have entered the secure area. However, officials have not confirmed this scenario at the time of publication, and no formal explanation has yet been released.