Skip to content

Passengers urged to check flights after evacuation

PA Media A man wheeling a suitcase talks to a police officer who is stood at the back of a police car, while another man in a hi-vis tabard is seen with is arm outstretched and appears to be giving directions.PA Media
Police said the evacuation was "a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of passengers and staff"

Passengers using Birmingham Airport are being advised to check their latest flight information after its terminal was evacuated over a suspicious vehicle.

Many flights were grounded on Wednesday and people had to leave the airport building while a police operation got under way at about 12:20 BST.

An Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team searched the vehicle which was "deemed to be safe", West Midlands Police said.

An airport spokesperson apologised for the inconvenience and disruption, but said "the safety and security of everyone at the airport was our number one priority".

Ian Pugh Image shows hundreds of people leaving Birmingham Airport. Some have bright yellow jackets on and are herding people out of the emergency exitsIan Pugh
Ian Pugh said he saw hundreds of people exiting the airport

The evacuation affected passengers who were checking in for the flights, with a police cordon set up around the airport and people advised not to travel to the airport.

The BBC understands passengers who had cleared security were permitted to go through to departures as they were deemed safe.

The airport said it was "working closely with its airline partners to minimise any potential disruption to customers".

Flights were held on the ground but were later able to depart with only one cancelled, a spokesperson said.

"We again apologise for the inconvenience to our passengers but their safety and security is our priority."

PA Media Four women in Birmingham Airport uniform walk towards a police cordon, while a police officer appears to be preparing to lift the tape to let them pass.PA Media
The airport said there would be ongoing disruption while services return to normal

Travellers posted their frustration on social media at being left on planes that had just arrived at the airport.

One user on X, @harmancheeta, said they were "stuck on a plane, claustrophobic, pleading to get off," and asked: "How long is this situation going to take?".

Another, @SpandleRandle, said his mum and dad were also on a plane at Birmingham Airport after returning from Spain and had "no idea what’s going on".

Some were not happy with the way the disruption was handled.

Passenger Samia Khan said there were "no updates, nobody telling us what was going on, it's just absolutely ridiculous".

"I could have easily just caught the train to Amsterdam and I'm probably going to opt for that next time, because flying's just been made so difficult with all the delays," she said.

"Birmingham Airport could have just dealt with the whole situation much better."

A woman in a black top and a black coat is stood in front of a grass embankment.
Samia Khan said she would consider using the train for future journeys

Ian Pugh posted a photo of crowds outside the building.

"It seemed very busy and the numbers of people just started growing," he said.

"At first I just thought it was people going to the train station and maybe the monorail had failed but the numbers just got larger."

Some passengers were asked to assemble at the nearby National Exhibition Centre (NEC).

PA Media People stood on a pavement, one is sat on a luggage trolley. A police officer is stood nearby the group.PA Media
Many passengers were left waiting outside while emergency services dealt with the situation

West Midlands Fire Service and West Midlands Ambulance Service both had crews on site while the investigation took place.

Passengers were allowed back into the airport from 15:30 BST.

Birmingham Airport was also evacuated in September, when travellers were temporarily asked to leave a small area in the arrivals zone.

Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.