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Birmingham Airport passengers are being urged to check flights after evacuation

PA media A man pushing a suitcase speaks to a police officer standing in the back of a police car, while another man wearing a high-vis tabard can be seen with his arm outstretched, appearing to give instructions.PA Media

Police said the evacuation was “a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of passengers and staff.”

Passengers using Birmingham Airport are advised to check their current flight information after the terminal was evacuated due to a suspicious vehicle.

Many flights had to be grounded on Wednesday and people had to leave the airport building while a police operation began at around 12:20 BST.

An Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team searched the vehicle, which was “considered safe”, West Midlands Police said.

An airport spokesman apologized for the inconvenience and disruption but said: “The safety of everyone at the airport was our top priority.”

Ian Pugh's picture shows hundreds of people leaving Birmingham Airport. Some wear bright yellow jackets and herd people out of the emergency exitsIan Pugh

Ian Pugh said he saw hundreds of people leaving the airport

The evacuation affected passengers checking in for the flights. A police cordon was set up around the airport and people were advised not to travel to the airport.

According to the BBC, passengers who passed through security were allowed to proceed to the departure area as they were deemed safe.

The airport said it was “working closely with its airline partners to minimize any potential disruption to customers.”

Flights were grounded but were able to take off later, with only one cancelled, a spokesman said.

“We apologize again for the inconvenience to our passengers, but their safety is our priority.”

PA media Four women in Birmingham Airport uniform walk towards a police cordon as a police officer appears to prepare to lift the tape to let them pass.PA Media

The airport said there would be ongoing disruptions as long as air traffic returned to normal

Travelers expressed frustration on social media at being left behind on planes that had just arrived at the airport.

A user on

Another, @SpandleRandle, said his mother and father were also on a plane at Birmingham airport after returning from Spain and had “no idea what was going on”.

Some were unhappy with the way the disruption was handled.

Passenger Samia Khan said there were “no updates, no one is telling us what's going on, it's just absolutely ridiculous”.

“I could have just taken the train to Amsterdam and will probably choose that next time because flying has become so difficult with all the delays,” she said.

“Birmingham Airport could have handled the whole situation much better.”

A woman in a black top and black coat stands in front of a grassy embankment.

Samia Khan said she would consider using the train for future trips

Ian Pugh posted a photo of crowds outside the building.

“It seemed very busy and the number of people was just starting to grow,” he said.

“At first I just thought it was people coming to the station and maybe the monorail was down, but the numbers just grew.”

Some passengers were asked to gather at the nearby National Exhibition Center (NEC).

PA media people stood on a sidewalk, one sat on a luggage cart. A police officer stands near the group.PA Media

Many passengers had to wait outside while emergency services dealt with the situation

Both West Midlands Fire Service and West Midlands Ambulance Service attended the scene with emergency services during the investigation.

Passengers were allowed back into the airport from 3:30pm BST.

Birmingham airport was also evacuated in Septemberas travelers were temporarily asked to leave a small area in the arrivals area.

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