Birmingham Airport 'returning to normal' after evacuation and flights grounded
Passengers and staff were evacuated and all flights were suspended after police searched and assessed a suspicious vehicle.
Wednesday 23 October 2024 16:40, UK
Operations at Birmingham Airport are "returning to normal" following a report of a suspicious vehicle.
Staff and passengers were evacuated and all flights were suspended on Wednesday afternoon after the airport in the West Midlands said police were on site "dealing with an incident".
Passengers were pictured waiting on roads with their suitcases and bags as they waited to re-enter the airport.
Social media users told how they or their family members were stuck on grounded planes, while one person described the area outside the airport as "chaos".
In an update just before 4pm, the airport said "operations are now returning to normal" following a police investigation.
"Whilst we apologise for any inconvenience and disruption, the safety and security of everyone at the airport was our number one priority as we worked through this incident with police partners," it said in a statement on X.
West Midlands Police said the partial evacuation was a "precautionary measure" so the vehicle could be searched and assessed.
The vehicle was later deemed to be safe by the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team and is no longer being treated as suspicious, the force said.
Passengers due to fly later today are being advised to check the latest flight information and arrive at the airport "in line with their check-in opening times".
Transport links that were disrupted have also returned to normal.
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Birmingham Airport is the UK's seventh-largest airport, with 11.5 million passengers alone last year.