16 April 2024 , 16:18
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Birmingham Airport has reopened after it was closed to aircraft movements due to a suspicious device found on a flight.
A Birmingham Airport spokesperson earlier today told the Mirror: “Birmingham Airport has temporarily suspended operations due to a security incident on an aircraft. The aircraft landed safely and all passengers and crew have disembarked. All customers due to travel should make their way to the airport and check in as normal.”
A further statement from the Midlands airport confirmed that it reopened at 6pm. It said: “Birmingham Airport reopened at 1800 hours following a security incident on an aircraft. All passengers and crew disembarked safely. Customers are advised to check with their airline, or on the Birmingham Airport website, before checking in due to potential delays.”
Scenes from the airport today
The airport's operations have been temporarily suspendedWhile a West Midlands Police spokesperson told BirminghamLive: "We are currently at Birmingham Airport following a report of a suspicious item found on a flight destined for Belfast. The plane was diverted shortly after take-off and landed back at Birmingham airport just after 4pm.
"All passengers and crew have been evacuated safely and specialist officers including the dog unit have now searched the plane. The incident is now being dealt as a false call with very good intent and the item is not suspicious.
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"The safety of all was our primary concern and there is no wider risk to the public and the airport re-opened at 6pm. We would like to thank the public for their patience and support while we dealt with this incident."
Police and bomb squads are on-site
Birmingham Airport in lockdownA tweet from SPD Travels earlier this afternoon had read: "Birmingham airport is currently closed to aircraft movements due to a suspicious device found on an Aer Lingus flight to Belfast that returned to BHX. Currently Ryanair has diverted to Manchester, an Aer Lingus in the hold and other flights en route."
The Aer Lingus flight was heading to Belfast from Birmingham when it was forced to return to its starting point. Plane enthusiasts Airport Action were on-site streaming live on YouTube at the time. Several emergency service vehicles were seen on one part of the airport, which opened in 1939, but the plane in question was not in view, reported DublinLive. The flight path of the Aer Lingus flight shows that it only got as far as Market Drayon near Stoke-on-Trent before it turned back.
Passengers were seen leaving the plane on a secure part of the runway as buses were brought in to take them back to the terminal while emergency services dealt with the incident. Bomb squad vehicles were seen on-site, while at least four police cars were also spotted.
Departure boards on the Birmingham Airport website showed all departing flights as delayed. The first flights to be hit by the delay were due to depart at 16:10. That Loganair flight was rescheduled for departure at 6pm.
Flights are now being diverted
An undeclared item was found onboard an Aer Lingus flightFlights that were bound for Birmingham are now diverting to East Midlands Airport, Manchester Airport and Bristol Airport, according to traffic data monitor Inrix, while others are being turned back around.
An Aer Lingus spokeswoman confirmed: "We can confirm that an undeclared item discovered on Aer Lingus Regional flight EI3647, operated by Emerald Airlines, from Birmingham to Belfast today was not a security risk. Our teams are currently working to accommodate impacted passengers." The nature of the 'undeclared item' remains unclear at the time of writing.
Trains travelling between Birmingham New Street and Coventry - including Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry and London Northwestern services - have also been suspended due to the incident at the airport that saw 11.5 million passengers last year.