Brutal Attack at BER Airport Gate: Drunk Passenger Hospitalizes Employee
Berlin, September 17 – An employee at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) was severely injured in a brutal attack by a heavily intoxicated passenger at a departure gate. The incident, which took place on Sunday, September 6, led to the employee being hospitalized with multiple bone fractures. Trade union Verdi has since warned of increasing violence against staff at BER.
Employee Denies Boarding to Intoxicated Passenger
The incident occurred during the final checks before Air Baltic flight BT 830 was scheduled to depart for Tallinn at 10:05 PM. According to information from the Berliner Zeitung, a Swissport ground handling service employee noticed that a passenger was heavily intoxicated. The employee made the decision to deny the passenger boarding due to his condition.
Situation Escalates into Violent Assault
Following the denial, the situation quickly escalated. The passenger reportedly began to repeatedly punch the employee. Another individual allegedly prevented other people from assisting the attacked staff member. Surveillance footage, later reported by Bild, shows the attacker continuing to strike the victim even after he had fallen to the ground. Several passengers and female employees intervened, and travelers ultimately managed to restrain the assailant.
Severe Injuries and Hospitalization
The severity of the attack became evident at the hospital, where the employee was treated for a fractured cheekbone and other bone fractures. Doctors were able to save his eyesight, but the employee remains hospitalized. The airport company confirmed the attack, stating that waiting passengers and an employee held the man until federal police and airport security arrived. The federal police took the passenger into custody, and the Brandenburg State Police are leading the ongoing investigation.
Verdi Warns of Increasing Violence at BER
The trade union Verdi views this attack not as an isolated incident. Enrico Rümker, Verdi secretary, told the Berliner Zeitung, “Attacks on staff at BER are no longer isolated cases. We are experiencing more and more assaults, more and more violence.”
According to the newspaper, Swissport alone has registered nearly 200 verbal and physical attacks on its employees at BER this year. Swissport is just one of three companies at the airport responsible for tasks such as checking in passengers, monitoring boarding, and handling luggage.
Verdi also criticized alleged cuts in security personnel, which they claim could lead to valuable time being lost in such situations. However, the airport operator disputes this claim, stating that physical attacks on employees are “still very rare isolated cases.” They also maintain that BER exceeds statutory and regulatory staffing requirements for security.
For the severely injured Swissport employee, however, the attack remains a harsh reality, with his fractures still unhealed days later.
Source: Berliner Zeitung, Bild
