Birmingham Airport, serving the UK’s second-largest city, was evacuated on Wednesday following a bomb threat, leading to the suspension of all flights for several hours. West Midlands Police ordered a partial closure of the airport after receiving reports of a suspicious vehicle.
Passengers were advised not to travel to the airport, and those already waiting for flights had to leave the terminals on foot, carrying their luggage.
In a statement, airport authorities expressed their apologies for the inconvenience and disruption caused, emphasizing that “the safety and security of everyone at the airport was our number one priority.”
The evacuation was described as a “precautionary measure” while the vehicle was searched. The Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team later assessed the vehicle and deemed it safe, stating it was no longer considered suspicious.
Birmingham Airport is the seventh busiest airport in the UK by passenger numbers and serves as an operating base for airlines including easyJet, Ryanair, TUI Airways, and Jet2.com. Its most popular routes connect to Dublin, Dubai, Amsterdam, Palma de Mallorca, and Tenerife-South.
An airport spokesperson confirmed that operations would gradually return to normal and urged passengers to check the latest flight information with their respective airlines.