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Flights grounded at Birmingham Airport over vehicle Birmingham Airport back open after evacuation
(about 1 hour later)
Ian Pugh said he saw hundreds of people exiting the airportIan Pugh said he saw hundreds of people exiting the airport
Birmingham Airport has been evacuated following reports of a suspicious vehicle. Birmingham Airport said it was "slowly returning to normal" after passengers were evacuated over a suspicious vehicle.
West Midlands Police said the move was "a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of passengers and staff". Departing flights were grounded and people told to leave the airport building while a police operation got under way at about 12:20 BST.
A Birmingham Airport spokesperson said: “West Midlands Police is currently dealing with an ongoing incident on-site. Shortly before 16:00 the airport announced the investigation had concluded.
"Airport operations are currently impacted, and passengers should not come to the airport at this time." “Whilst we apologise for any inconvenience and disruption, the safety and security of everyone at the airport was our number one priority as we worked through this incident with police partners," a spokesperson added.
Live updates on the situation at Birmingham Airport Holidaymakers stuck on planes
One user on X, @harmancheeta, said they were "stuck on a plane, claustrophobic, pleading to get off. How long is this situation going to take?" West Midlands Police said the move had been "a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of passengers and staff".
Another, @SpandleRandle, said his mum and dad were also stuck on a plane at Birmingham Airport after returning from Spain and "they have no idea what’s going on". Passengers 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".
Ian Pugh posted a photo of crowds massed outside the building.Ian Pugh posted a photo of crowds massed outside the building.
"It seemed very busy and the numbers of people just started growing," he said."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.""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."
West Midlands Fire Service said it had crews on standby at the airport after being notified of an ongoing incident shortly after 12:20 BST. West Midlands Fire Service and West Midlands Ambulance Service both had crews on site while the investigation took place.
Teams from West Midlands Ambulance Service were also in attendance "as a precautionary measure as police deal with reports of a suspicious vehicle".
Passengers to contact airlines
The airport spokesperson added that the airport’s social media channels would be updated as and when the situation changed.
They advised passengers with flights this afternoon to contact their airline and check the airport’s website for updates.
National Express said its services would not be stopping at the airport due to "an ongoing incident".
They advised that the alternative stop would instead be Birmingham International Rail Station.
Birmingham Airport was also evacuated in September, when travellers were temporarily asked to leave a small area in the arrivals zone.Birmingham Airport was also evacuated in September, when travellers were temporarily asked to leave a small area in the arrivals zone.
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