A nationwide failure of the Federal Police’s IT systems caused significant delays at major German airports on Friday, disrupting border controls for passengers entering from non-Schengen countries. The issue, which began around 14:00, required manual processing of entry and exit, leading to extended wait times and backlogs.
By 18:00, operations resumed at Frankfurt, Berlin, and Düsseldorf airports, but other airports remained affected. Airports in Munich, Hamburg, Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden, and Hanover also reported disruptions, while Leipzig and Dresden airports were unaffected.
The failure, linked to the police information network Inpol, highlighted longstanding concerns over outdated IT infrastructure. Critics, including the Federal Police union, blamed insufficient government investment in modernization, calling for a €150 million budget increase.
While passengers experienced delays, airport staff provided water and assistance. The Federal Police and the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) are investigating the cause of the outage and working to prevent future disruptions.
