Birmingham Airport drama as passengers 'stuck on planes' after partial evacuation

Birmingham Airport said they were aware of an incident
-Credit: (Image: Riz Yakub / Sent to BirminghamLive)


Parts of Birmingham Airport were "evacuated" this afternoon - but an unknown incident has since been stood down. Pictures seen by BirminghamLive showed crowds of people standing outside departures while others reported being stuck on planes.

The drama is thought to have begun sometime after 4pm on Sunday, September 15. Bosses said they were aware of an incident and police were on the scene.

But a spokesperson later added: "The incident has been cleared. Passengers are now being let back into terminals."

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National Express West Midlands said its 97A and X12 services were being diverted until further notice. The bus company explained this was due to BHX being "inaccessible".

Arriving passengers reported a baggage reclaim carousel had stopped working before they were ordered to stay where they were. A separate video showed a large group of people outside the airport's main entrance, unable to access departures.

Lisa Koch tweeted: "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."

An initial Birmingham Airport statement read: "We are aware of an incident at the airport in which police are attending. Those at the airport should follow the instructions of the police as we work together to bring the incident to a close."

Email josh.sandiford@reachplc.com if you were caught up in delays. You can also get breaking news through BirminghamLive's WhatsApp group.