Birmingham Airport evacuation: UK airport 'evacuated' as 'police attend' with passengers 'stuck on planes'
Hundreds of holiday-makers were evacuated from Birmingham Airport as police investigated an incident.
Travellers were temporarily asked to leave a small area in the arrivals zone and gather outside just after 4pm yesterday (Sunday 15 September). A number of passengers took to social media to share videos and photos of the baggage area brought to a standstill while others reported being "stuck on a plane".
Lisa Koch posted on X, formerly Twitter: "Stuck on a plane at Birmingham Airport, any news from inside?" Another woman, named on X as Dani, added: "I got off the air rail and was told to get straight outside. Nobody allowed into departures. People [are] saying it has been evacuated and armed police are arriving."
West Midlands Police confirmed the force had been alerted to an incident and subsequently carried out precautionary checks. The X1, X12 and 97A National Express bus services were diverted "due to the entrance at Birmingham Airport being inaccessible".
A spokesperson for the airport confirmed they were aware of an ongoing incident and advised people in the airport to follow the instructions of the police. Just before 5pm, staff began to allow travellers back into the site and the incident was reported as cleared by the airport.