Birmingham Airport temporarily suspends flights due to 'security incident'
The Aer Lingus flight was grounded due to concerns about a suspect item on board.
Last updated 16th Apr 2024
Flights to and from Birmingham Airport were temporarily suspended this afternoon (16 April) due to concerns about a suspect item on board.
The Aer Lingus Regional flight bound for Belfast, declared an emergency, and was re-routed back to Birmingham shortly after take-off, landing at around 4pm.
Passengers and crew were safely evacuated from the aircraft, and searches carried out by specialist officers.
Flights resumed on Wednesday evening, after it was confirmed there was no security risk.
A Birmingham Airport spokesperson said: “Birmingham Airport reopened at 1800 hours following a security incident on an aircraft.
“All passengers and crew disembarked safely.
“Customers are advised to check with their airline, or on the Birmingham Airport website, before checking in due to potential delays.”
A statement from Aer Lingus said: ‘We can confirm that 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’.
Trains between Birmingham New Street and Coventry were affected during the incident.
They have now resumed, but passengers are being advised that disruption may continue on Wednesday evening as services recover.
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