After reports of a suspicious item on an Aer Lingus plane, Birmingham Airport suspended all flights, later reopening at 6 p.m. The flight was on its way to Belfast but was diverted shortly after takeoff and returned to Birmingham airport at 4 p.m. The passengers and crew were evacuated and the plane searched thoroughly by specialist officers, including dogs. An Aer Lingus spokesperson said that the undeclared item on the affected flight from Birmingham to Belfast presented no security risk and that the team was working to accommodate impacted passengers.
A spokesperson representing West Midlands Police said that they were treating this event as a “false call” because the item found was later determined not to be suspicious. The police were called at around 4 p.m. on Tuesday, right after the report of a suspicious item. Some flights from the airport were delayed for more than two hours on account of the incident, according to various sources. As per the Birmingham Airport’s website, there is a possibility of more flight delays.
According to East Midlands Airport, the diversion of several flights that were bound for Birmingham happened after the airport’s closure. Birmingham International Railway Station was also affected, and all train services were at a standstill. West Midlands Railway confirmed that the cause of this disruption was the event at the airport. The police activity at the airport caused the halting of all rail lines near Birmingham International railway station, but disruption is expected to last till 7 p.m., according to Network Rail.
Ms. Joanne Roberts, who was on a plane with her two-year-old daughter bound for Egypt, told the BBC that they had been stuck on the plane since 3 p.m., and the aeroplane staff had distributed water, coloring materials, and Sudoku to the children. Passengers had not been given adequate information about the situation except for reports that another plane called for a mayday. Staff has promised to offer updates every twenty minutes. At 6:10 p.m., Ms. Roberts informed the BBC that there was word from airline staff that the runway would be reopened soon.
Birmingham Airport has handled over ten million passengers in the year 2022, according to data released last year, making it one of the busiest airports in the UK
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More