Birmingham airport reopens following security incident onboard Belfast flight
James ChappleOperations at Birmingham airport were temporarily suspended on Tuesday afternoon (16 April) owing to a security incident onboard an aircraft.
An Aer Lingus Regional aircraft, bound for Belfast City airport, returned to Birmingham at around 4pm shortly after taking off following reports of a suspicious item onboard. The item was declared safe and the incident had been stood down by around 6pm, after which operations at BHX resumed.
A spokesperson for the carrier told TTG: "We can confirm an undeclared item discovered on Aer Lingus Regional flight EI3647, operated by Emerald Airlines, from Birmingham to Belfast today was not a security risk.
"Our teams are currently working to accommodate impacted passengers."
A BHX spokesperson told the BBC: "The aircraft landed safely and all passengers and crew have disembarked. All customers due to travel should make their way to the airport and check in as normal."
The airport later tweeted shortly after 7pm: "Birmingham Airport reopened at 6pm following a security incident on an aircraft. All passengers and crew disembarked safely. Customers are advised to check with their airline before checking in due to potential delays."
Rail services to and from Birmingham International railway station were also temporarily suspended. Network Rail has confirmed all lines reopened shortly after 6pm, but warned passengers to expect delays on Tuesday evening.
West Midlands Police confirmed it has responded to a report of a suspicious item found onboard a flight destined for Belfast on Tuesday afternoon.
"The aircraft was diverted shortly after take-off and landed back at Birmingham airport just after 4pm," said the force. "All passengers and crew were evacuated safely and specialist officers including the dog unit searched the aircraft. The incident is now being dealt [with] 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. The airport reopened at 6pm. We would like to thank the public for their patience and support while we dealt with this incident."
A number of Birmingham-bound flights were diverted to nearby East Midlands airport.
TTG has approached Birmingham airport for further comment.
Sign up for weekday travel news and analysis straight to your inbox
James Chapple
Supplier Directory
Find contacts for 260+ travel suppliers. Type name, company or destination.
Recommended For You
British Airways makes its return to Bangkok
From new destinations to fresh facilities: how Birmingham Airport is planning for the futurePARTNER CONTENT
Latest travel jobs
Leisure Travel Consultant
Key account manager
Senior Charter Operations Executive - UK & EMEA
Competitions
Upcoming events
TTG Top 50 Travel Agencies 2025
Place of registration: England and Wales.
Company number 08723341.
Registered address: 6th Floor, 2 London Wall Place, London EC2Y 5AU
