Suspicious package forces evacuation of Glasgow airport :: 04/11/2010 :: Airport Parking News
Suspect package later determined to be harmless.
← Previous Article | ↑ Articles This Month ↑ | Next Article →
Suspicious package forces evacuation of Glasgow airport
Thursday, 4th November 2010
Parts of one of the UK’s busiest airports were shut down until army bomb experts confirmed the there was no threat. Security staff had discovered a suspicious package in the airport’s departures area.
Parts of the airport had to be evacuated and the departures area was closed while experts investigated the package. Though it turned out that the incident was a false alarm, police said there was no doubt that airport staff had acted properly.
Rhuraidh Nicolson, assistant chief constable from Strathclyde police, had no doubt that the small number of passengers whose travel was disrupted by the scare would understand the need to handle the alarm in such a way. The scare is thought to have delayed the departures of two flights.
Staff discovered the suspicious package at 7.55pm. Roughly ten minutes later, the departures area was cleared. The package was located in the central security area, in which passengers are searched before boarding planes. Passengers who had already cleared the security scanners were allowed to continue but the area had to be shut down until the all-clear was given.
Security fears have been increased recently following the discovery last week of bombs on cargo aircraft flying from Yemen. In 2007, Glasgow airport was targeted in a car bombing plot. The device failed to go off as planned but one of the assailants later died from burns suffered in the attack.
← Small bomb found in car parked at Belfast airport
→ UK security minister in airport liquids gaffe
↑ November 2010 news index
