A man reportedly jumped a fence at a major international airport because he wanted a “closer look at aeroplanes”.
The 36-year-old breached the perimeter of Lisbon Airport – Portugal’s busiest – at around 8:55am on Sunday (30 August).
He allegedly climbed over a fence near the cargo terminal before casually wandering onto the airport grounds.
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The man was spotted by the crew of a departing TAP Airbus A321, who raised the alarm with air traffic control.
Footage shared online appears to show him strolling along a grass verge between the runway and taxiways.
He was reportedly walking calmly and did not appear to be carrying a weapon.
One report claimed the man had simply wanted a “closer look at aeroplanes”, as reported by Need To Know.
But his impromptu sightseeing trip sparked a potentially serious security incident because he had entered an area used by aircraft.
A Brazilian aviation report claimed the man even crossed the airport’s active runway before he was stopped.
He was eventually intercepted by an airport employee and handed over to officers from Portugal’s Public Security Police, PSP.
The man was identified before being assessed by emergency medical workers from Portugal’s INEM emergency service.
He was later taken to hospital for further medical evaluation.
Despite the security breach, airport operations were reportedly largely unaffected.
The PSP said there was “no interruption” to air traffic while the man was inside the restricted area.
No arriving or departing flights were reportedly delayed.
Airport staff carried out a runway inspection after the man was removed to ensure no foreign objects or other hazards had been left behind.
No problems were discovered.
The case has now been handed to Portugal’s Public Prosecution Service.
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