Birmingham Airport confirms reason behind 'security incident' that led to suspension of all operations

Birmingham Airport has confirmed the reason why it briefly closed on Tuesday evening (April 16).

The airport suspended operations due to a security incident on a Aer Lingus flight to Belfast. The plane was diverted shortly after take-off and landed back at Birmingham airport just after 4pm. The aircraft landed safely back in Birmingham and all passengers and crew disembarked.

The airport suspended all operations following the incident, but reopened a short time later at around 6pm.

A spokesperson for the airport has now confirmed that the plane returned to Birmingham after an item was found on the Aer Lingus flight. The airport has said it was a ‘false call’ and the item wasn’t a security threat.

Airport statement

A Birmingham Airport spokesperson said: “Birmingham Airport was briefly closed for just under an hour yesterday, April 16, 2024, following an item found on an Aer Lingus regional aircraft.  All passengers and crew disembarked the aircraft safely.

“The item on the aircraft was identified by the Airline’s crew, and its procedures were followed correctly. However, this was a false call and was never a security threat. Birmingham Airport was fully compliant in all its safety and security procedures for the departure of this aircraft.”

West Midlands Police statement

A statement from the force, read: “All passengers and crew were evacuated safely and specialist officers including the dog unit searched the plane.The incident is now being dealt as a false call with very good intent and the item is not suspicious.

“The safety of all was our primary concern and there is no wider risk to the public and the airport re-opened at 6pm. We would like to thank the public for their patience and support while we dealt with this incident.”