Birmingham airport has reopened after it suspended operations earlier this afternoon as police investigated a report of a suspicious vehicle.
News about the airport’s evacuation emerged shortly after lunchtime but at 3.45pm the airport posted on X: “Following a Police investigation, operations are now returning to normal. If travelling today, customers are advised to check their latest flight information and arrive at the airport in line with their check-in opening times.
“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.”
The airport website was also updated to reflect the news, saying: “Following a Police investigation, some passengers were evacuated and we had to suspend departing flights for a couple of hours. That investigation has now concluded, and operations will slowly be returning to normal. All passengers are advised to check latest flight information from their airline.”
A message on the airport’s website earlier on Wednesday afternoon (October 23) had said: “West Midlands Police is currently dealing with an ongoing incident on-site. Airport operations are currently impacted, and passengers should not come to the airport at this time.”
At about 2pm, West Midlands Police had posted on X: “#INCIDENT | Birmingham Airport is currently being evacuated following a report of suspicious vehicle. This is a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of passengers and staff.”
The BBC reported traffic delays near the airport as roads in the area were “jammed” while police carried out their investigation, and some passengers were stuck on their planes, unable to disembark.
CUSTOMER INFORMATION – UPDATED
Following a Police investigation, operations are now returning to normal. If travelling today, customers are advised to check their latest flight information and arrive at the airport in line with their check-in opening times.
Whilst we… pic.twitter.com/C7AEyb4E19
— Birmingham Airport (@bhx_official) October 23, 2024