durham tees valley airport closed by security alert
18.12.04
Passengers were evacuated and flights delayed at Durham Tees Valley Airport this morning because of a security alert, after concerns were raised following routine checks on a passenger's bags.
A 35-year-old man, who is a Libyan national, was arrested after checking in at around 06:30 today. A controlled explosion was carried out on the bags, but initial examinations found no explosive devices. The man was arrested under the terms of the Terrorism Act 2000 and is in police custody in the county today, Durham Police said.
A police spokesman said that the passenger was an electrical engineer working for a Libyan oil company who had been living in the North East for the last six months as a student. He was due to travel on a British Midlands flight to Heathrow airport before catching another flight to Tripoli later today.
Airport security staff closed durham tees valley airport to incoming and outgoing flights and around 200 people were evacuated as a precaution to a hangar on the site. The baggage was taken to a safe place until a bomb disposal squad arrived and carried out the controlled explosion.
Airport commercial manager Richard Whitehouse said the airport was shut for just over 2 hours and 6 flights were delayed. Around 750 passengers were affected but flights had reverted to schedule after the delays. No planes were diverted or services cancelled.
He said: 'The evacuation went pretty much to plan. While it was frustrating, I think passengers appreciated that there was an incident. The safety and security of passengers, air crew and staff is of paramount importance.'
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