THIS is the shocking moment two late passengers frantically try to catch their flight by breaking security barriers and running across tarmac, despite missing the last boarding call.
In bizarre footage circulating online, two men can be seen frantically running across the tarmac at Cologne/Bonn Airport towards a Wizz Air plane.
Footage shows them waving their arms in the air as they run, trying to get the pilot’s attention to stop the flight and let them board.
The plane, bound for Bucharest, Romania, was taxiing towards the runway.
An airport employee can be seen approaching them on the ground to intervene in their desperate attempt to catch the flight before it takes off.
The two men had missed the final boarding call on Friday evening and according to police, smashed the glass of an emergency switch to open a security door onto the tarmac.
Police said criminal charges for trespassing were filed and a violation of the Air Security Act was still being investigated.
Airport officials said the Bucharest bound Airbus had already left its parked position and had started to taxi towards the runway when the two men made their dramatic dash.
An airport spokesperson said the two were apprehended by airport staff and handed over to the Federal Police.
“Aviation security at the airport was never compromised, and flight operations were not affected,” they said.
The Wizz Air flight was delayed by the incident but landed ahead of schedule at 12.49am.
It comes as Europe experienced travel chaos over the weekend following mysterious drone sightings at Eindhoven Airport in the Netherlands.
Dutch authorities confirmed the major airport suspended flights and shut its airspace due to the unexplained sightings.
Counter-drones teams and police officers rushed to the scene to investigate, Netherlands Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans said.
He added that further probes were still ongoing, and vowed to take action where necessary.
The disruption caused travel mayhem at the airport, as many flights faced delays and even diversions, leaving scores of passengers stranded.
It remains unclear who exactly was behind the drone incursion on Saturday.
The latest sighting comes as Europe continues to grapple with frequent drone incursions – many of which have forced airports to close.
Fears are mounting that a sabre-rattling Vladimir Putin may be behind several of the recent instances.
The airport shut down came just hours after UFOs were seen hovering above Volkel Air Base – a key Nato building just 24 miles north of Eindhoven Airport.
Military personnel even opened fire in an effort to fend off the aircraft, according to the Dutch defence ministry.
