IT Disturbance At German Airport Causes Long Queues In Immigration

Illustration of Frankfurt Airport's atmosphere in Germany (photo: x @jedwinmok)

JAKARTA - Airports throughout Germany experienced interference with the IT system that affected the police system at the immigration checkpoint on Friday, January 3. This disruption caused long queues for passengers arriving from outside the Schengen passport-free travel zone.

"There is a national interference IT at this time," a federal police spokesman said by telephone. As a result, officers were forced to process passengers manually for flights from outside the Schengen region.

This disruption reportedly occurred at several major airports, including Frankfurt Airport, which is Germany's busiest airport. Berlin Airport also confirmed a longer waiting time at immigration checkpoints for non-Schengen passengers.

"We can confirm that since around 14.00 local time (20.00 WIB), there has been a disturbance in border checks for flights to and from non-Schengen areas," said a spokesman for Duesseldorf Airport. He added that the airport provided drinking water for the affected passengers.

Reports from regional public broadcaster WDR stated that some passengers had to wait up to two hours at immigration, while others remained on board until the situation allowed.

The cause of this disturbance is still unknown.