By james art Frustrated passengers at Birmingham Airport were left stranded on planes and evacuated to the National Exhibition Center after all flights were grounded following a report of a “suspicious vehicle”.
Holidaymakers were warned not to come to the terminal this afternoon while police dealt with an incident.
Birmingham Airport has posted on social media that airport operations have been suspended and all transport links to the airport have been cancelled.
A number of people took to the web to express their disappointment at having their plans cancelled, with some claiming they were only informed once they were on the plane.
Others posted footage of passengers being evacuated from the terminal and taken on a 15-minute walk to the nearby NEC building.
A police cordon cordoned off roads and passengers had to wait with their luggage as Birmingham Airport was evacuated
Two holidaymakers leave with their luggage as they are evacuated from Birmingham Airport
People took to online to express their disappointment at having their plans cancelled, with some claiming they were only informed once they were on the plane
A number of other accounts also claim they were not told why their flights would not leave the ground
One disgruntled customer posted footage of the NEX evacuees on X, with the caption: “This is hilarious. Birmingham Airport was evacuated following reports of a ‘suspicious vehicle’ and we were all sent to the NEC.’
Another person said his 81-year-old mother was stuck on a plane in Alicante because of the outage.
User X posted a screenshot of his text conversation with his mother, in which she wrote to him: “Stuck on a plane, there is a police incident at the airport, so all flights are canceled and not allowed. But he doesn’t say why.
The son added: “Oh shit, my mom is coming back from Alicante after visiting my sister, she just texted me…. She’s 81 !!!”
Various other X accounts also claimed they weren’t told why their flights wouldn’t leave the ground.
One person wrote: “It’s ridiculous. Flight passengers have been there for almost an hour and a half, disabled passengers are frustrated and exhausted. This airport should NOT have taken this long to deal with this matter this long. It’s a shame.
A second added: ‘Stuck on the plane… can someone tell us what’s going on please! Surely you already know if anything is an actual threat or not!’
Birmingham Airport has now confirmed that passengers are returning to the terminal, but disruptions will continue.
A spokesman for Birmingham Airport said: “Following a police investigation, operations are now back to normal. If traveling today, customers are advised to check their latest flight information and arrive at the airport in accordance with check-in hours.
Another person said his 81-year-old mother was stuck on a plane in Alicante because of the outage
Police officers stand with the evacuated passengers outside the police cordon
A police officer diverts arriving cars to the airport after it has been evacuated
The update from Birmingham Airport at 1.34pm today
“While we apologize for the inconvenience and disruption, the safety and security of everyone at the airport was our number one priority as we worked through this incident with law enforcement partners.” ‘
One photo taken from the scene showed a police car blocking the approach to the airport earlier, while another showed the evacuation of passengers and staff.
Video footage seen by MailOnline also shows cars being backed up.
Witnesses reported seeing what they believed to be a bomb disposal team at the terminal, while other reports said some passengers were stranded on landed flights.
The airport has advised customers who have booked flights to contact their airline and wait for further updates.
One person wrote on ‘X’, formerly known as Twitter: ‘My mum and dad are stuck on a plane at Birmingham airport. They have no idea what’s going on, they just got back from Spain.
Another person said: “Bloody hell I’ve got to go on holiday and I’ve just got to Birmingham airport, everything is blocked. Damn that’s typical…’
Another added: “I’m stuck on the plane, feeling claustrophobic, begging to get off. How long will this situation take?”.
A spokesman for Birmingham Airport said: “West Midlands Police are currently dealing with an incident.
“Airport operations are currently suspended. Passengers are advised NOT to come to the airport at this time.
Police are diverting vehicles from Birmingham Airport while it is evacuated
Passengers waiting with their luggage for further updates as Birmingham Airport was evacuated
A passenger speaks to an officer at the scene as they stand by the cordon at the scene
Hundreds of passengers evacuated and all flights grounded after ‘suspicious vehicle’ spotted at Birmingham Airport
Passengers and staff are being evacuated from Birmingham Airport this afternoon as police deal with an ongoing incident
A police car is diverting cars away from the airport as West Midlands Police deal with an ongoing incident
Passengers were evacuated to the NEC event hall in Birmingham
Passengers are awaiting further instructions after being evacuated from Birmingham Airport
Pictured: Passengers are being directed out of the airport as police deal with an ongoing incident
“The airport’s social media channels will be updated as the situation changes.
“Passengers with immediate flights this afternoon should contact their airline and check the airport’s website for updates.”
A spokesman for West Midlands Police added: “Birmingham Airport is currently being evacuated following a report of a suspicious vehicle.
“This is a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of passengers and staff.”
West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service said it had two officers at the airport “working closely with the police, ambulance and airport staff”.
Bus company National Express has announced that its services to Birmingham Airport have been suspended.
A National Express spokesman said: “Until further notice we are not serving Birmingham Airport due to an ongoing incident.
“The alternative stop is now Birmingham International Rail Station. Please accept our apologies at this stage.