Flights in and out of Hamburg were suspended and passengers urged not to travel as the drama unfolded on Saturday evening when a car crashed through a barrier onto the site, sparking a major security response and an ongoing stand-off.

The police would not confirm earlier statements that the man had fired shots.

He was also said to have thrown burning bottles out of the vehicle.

Footage from the site showed emergency services dealing with two small fires.

The vehicle with the 35-year-old and four-year-old girl, believed to be his daughter, is currently parked under a Turkish Airlines plane, police said, and a large number of officers are at the scene.

In a post on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, the police said: "We must currently assume that he is in possession of a live firearm and possibly also explosive devices of an unknown type."

A psychologist has been negotiating with the man for hours through a Turkish translator, according to police.

The authorities said their main priority was the protection of the child, who was physically OK based on their
current information.

Police said the man's wife had previously contacted them about a possible child abduction.

The airport authorities said 286 flights with around 34,500 passengers had been scheduled for Sunday.