Glasgow Airport has reopened after a police incident in which passengers were evacuated and airport check-in terminals closed.
Parts of the airport were closed after police were called just after 6am over concerns about an item in a passenger’s bag, but officers have now been withdrawn and passengers are being readmitted at the terminal after a six-hour wait.
Passengers arriving at the airport for departing flights faced delays while checks were carried out, with passengers forced to wait in the multi-storey car park while police investigated. Large queues initially formed around the check-in desks, but police later moved people to the parking lot where emergency blankets were provided.
Hundreds were left stranded, with some missing their connecting flights and others rebooking flights at Edinburgh or Prestwick Airport.
Two fire crews were sent to the scene with a Royal Navy bomb disposal unit, but police confirmed the suspicious item was not considered to pose a risk to the public and was “of a innocent”.
Passengers were asked to move to the multi-level parking structure, with the central check-in and search areas closed due to the ongoing incident which saw parts of the airport shut down for six hours.
Those forced to wait outside were offered aluminum blankets and bottles of water along with hot drinks, served by Salvation Army volunteers.
A Police Scotland spokesman said: “At around 5.55am on Monday 5 December 2022, police were called to reports of a suspicious item in the security search room at the airport in Glasgow.
The scene at Glasgow Airport. Image, John Devlin
“As a precautionary measure, and in accordance with procedures, the check-in and security check-in areas were closed to the public and a cordon has been put in place.
“Following examination of the item by the Royal Navy’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team, it was confirmed that it posed no risk to the public and was innocuous in nature.
“All areas of the airport are in the process of reopening.”
A Glasgow Airport spokesman said: “Police Scotland has confirmed that the incident has been brought to a standstill and our staff are now in the process of welcoming passengers to the terminal and providing any assistance required.
The scene at Glasgow Airport. image; John Devlin