Travel chaos for passengers after evacuation caused by ‘suspicious vehicle’ – live

A bomb scare forced hundreds of passengers to evacuate Birmingham Airport on Wednesday afternoon, police said.

West Midlands Police said a Explosive Ordnance Disposal team rushed to the airport following a report of a suspicious vehicle parked outside the building.

“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,” police said on X.

“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.”

Earlier this year, many passengers were delayed at Birmingham airport due to long waits for security queues, with some passengers missing flights.

The airport boss hit back at criticism of the delays, saying a last-minute decision by government had created “a very difficult situation for us”.

Chief executive Nick Barton said most passengers were getting through security in under half-an-hour, with additional procedures in place to cope with peaks.

The West Midlands hub was the only major UK airport to comply with the 1 June 2024 deadline for installing “Next Generation” security scanners.

They are designed to allow security staff to get a much clearer picture of any potentially threatening items in passengers’ cabin baggage – and permit travellers to carry much larger quantities of liquids, aerosols and gels (“LAGs”) through the checkpoint than the 100ml container limit.

Birmingham airport invested £60m in the new equipment ahead of the summer peak. The intention was to accelerate the security process.

But following ministers’ decision to revert to the previous 100ml limit, many more bags than expected are being rejected – and removed for a hand search.

“Unfortunately, unforeseen events have got in the way of a good strategy and created a very difficult situation for us here at Birmingham.

“We are still struggling with the consequences of these changes, but we’re working on our plan to improve things,” Mr Barton told The Independent.

The timing of today’s incident was not as bad as it could have been: a Wednesday afternoon in late October is not a peak time, though some half-term holidaymakers will be affected.

Birmingham Airport is set to reopen following a mass evacuation after reports of a suspicious vehicle outside the building.

A spokesperson said: “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.”

Passengers have expressed frustration at being stuck on planes waiting near the runway at Birmingham Airport.

“Sat on a plane in the airport – been here an hour already,” one passenger said in response to the airport’s post on social media.

Another added: “My mum is stuck on a plane on the runway in Birmingham on return from Spain. No one is allowed off plane.”

Have you been affected by this incident? Email alexander.butler@independent.co.uk

Your flight is cancelled, overbooked or delayed: what, if anything, does the airline owe you?

The rules are tangled and depend on where your flight begins and the airline involved. Sometimes you may be entitled to a hotel room, all meals and hundreds of pounds in cash; in other circumstances you may just have to put a dismal aviation episode down to expensive experience, and see if your travel insurer can help.

To complicate matters further, some airlines do not have a great record about telling passengers about their rights or delivering the stipulated care and cash.

Read more by The Independent’s travel correspondent Simon Calder here:

Passengers are being advised not to attend Birmingham Airport due to a police incident.

In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, the airport said: “West Midlands Police is currently on-site dealing with an incident.

“Airport operations are currently suspended. Passengers are advised to not come to the airport at this time.

“The airport’s social media channels will be updated as and when the situation changes.”

When flights are disrupted, European air passengers’ rights rules are the most robust in the world for travellers.

Whatever the cause of a long delay or cancellation, EU and UK airlines must provide meals and accommodation as appropriate until you can be flown to your destination.

If a carrier cancels a flight, it is obliged to get you to your destination as soon as possible by buying a seat on a rival airline if necessary.

This applies to passengers at both ends of the route; many thousands of holidaymakers currently abroad are likely to be stranded overnight, with the airline paying for hotels and meals until they can be brought home.

Since the cause is well beyond the control of airlines, no cash compensation is payable.