A bomb scare forced hundreds of holidaymakers to evacuate Birmingham Airport on Wednesday afternoon as flights were cancelled and delayed.
Passengers were ordered to leave the airport, the seventh largest in the UK, as bomb disposal experts rushed to inspect a suspicious vehicle parked near the building.
Flights to Paris, Madrid and Tenerife were among those delayed as some passengers were forced to wait on the tarmac for hours amid the travel chaos. At least one flight was cancelled.
One passenger said: “Sat on a plane in the airport – been here an hour already,” in response to the airport’s post on social media.
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Another added: “My mum is stuck on a plane on the runway in Birmingham on return from Spain. No one is allowed off plane.”
West Midlands Police said customers were evacuated and a cordon was set up following reports of a suspicious vehicle outside an airport terminal.
“Following a search by the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team the vehicle was deemed to be safe. The vehicle is no longer being treated as suspicious,” a force spokesperson said.
“The safety of all was our primary concern and as a precautionary measure the airport was partially evacuated so the vehicle could be searched and assessed.”
The airport re-opened after hours of disruption and passengers were advised to check latest flight information before arriving at the terminals.
Amid the chaos, one passenger said on social media: “F****ng hell I’m meant to be going on holiday and I’ve just got to Birmingham Airport, everything’s blocked off. F****ng typical this…”
Another frustrated passenger added: “I am stuck on a plane, claustrophobic, pleading to get off. How long is this situation going to take?”.
It was the second time the airport was evacuated this year following a security incident on an aircraft in mid-April.
A specialist police unit searched the plane after an unidentified package was found on an Aer Lingus flight which had taken off from Belfast.
In that case, police described the incident as a “false call with very good intent” as the airport remained closed throughout the afternoon.
A Birmingham Airport spokesperson told The Independent: “The airport is working closely with its airline partners to minimise any potential disruption to customers.
“The majority of the flights that were held on the ground have now departed. There was only one cancelled flight.
“Customers are still advised to check their flight status with their airline. We again apologise for the inconvenience to our passengers.
“The safety and security of everyone at the airport was our number one priority as we worked through this incident with police partners.”