Passengers were evacuated from Glasgow Airport following the discovery of a suspicious object in luggage by airport security personnel.
The police were called to the site at approximately 06:00, and passengers were relocated to the parking lot for two hours.
The staff distributed water and emergency blankets to guard against the cold.
Several planes were canceled or delayed while inquiries were conducted.
Police cordoned off the core search area and domestic arrivals area before the arrival of a Royal Navy bomb disposal unit.
At approximately 12:30, Police Scotland verified that passengers were permitted to re-enter the premises.
The Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) crew determined that the object was “innocent by nature,” according to a spokeswoman.
They stated, “At 5:55 a.m., officers were called to the security search area of Glasgow Airport in response to an allegation of a suspicious object.”
“As a precaution and by protocol, the check-in and security search hall areas were cordoned off and restricted to the public.”
Throughout the morning, some flights continued to depart from the airport while others were redirected.
Mike McPherson from Glasgow reported that phone connection was fluctuating as passengers checked online for flight details.
Tuesday’s conference in London was the reason he had been waiting in the parking lot since 10 a.m. He had a flight scheduled to depart for London on Tuesday.
According to him, many passengers continued to arrive expecting flights to depart, and no notices were made.
A representative for Glasgow Airport stated, “Police Scotland has confirmed that the issue has been resolved, and our staff is currently welcoming passengers back into the terminal and offering any necessary help.”
We’d like to thank our passengers for their understanding.
Ian Snee and his 55-year-old wife Laura arrived at the airport at 07:00 after spending the majority of the morning outside in the cold.
The couple from Kirriemuir, Angus was scheduled to fly to the Canaries at 10:45 a.m. for their first vacation since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ian stated, “According to the most recent update on the website, it will be 11:30, but I don’t see that occurring.
“As we exited the bus, nothing ominous appeared to be occurring; nevertheless, we did observe that no one was entering the building. At that time, the terminal was full; when we attempted to enter the building farther up, the cops stopped us.
They relocated us to the parking lot, but we received no information.
Ian expressed optimism that their plans will not be canceled and that they will make their 23:00 departure; he also described the crowd’s atmosphere as generally upbeat.
“The mood is fairly upbeat,” Ian added. “Staff are distributing emergency blankets and water to keep people warm and hydrated.
Although it’s cold, nobody is complaining about the wait; these precautions are meant to keep us safe.
This is not the first time Glasgow Airport has experienced a security alert.
In the summer of 2007, two guys drove a flaming Jeep to the main door of the departures hall, where they attempted to detonate gas cylinders to generate a massive explosion.
They were apprehended by airport workers, and one of them, John Smeaton, was given the Queen’s Gallantry Medal for his bravery.
The attack prompted a comprehensive reevaluation of the airport’s car access management. Now, all vehicular traffic other than buses and taxis is diverted away from the building’s entrance and considerable barriers have been installed.
The challenge for anyone attempting to defend public buildings is that groups or individuals who wish to endanger them will always look for new ways to circumvent any countermeasures implemented in reaction to prior attacks.
