Passengers told to stay away as 'incident' suspends major UK airport flights

Passengers were advised not to attend Birmingham Airport due to a police incident. It led to major disruption for several hours on Wednesday afternoon.

In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, the airport said: "@WMPolice is currently on-site dealing with an incident. Airport operations are currently suspended.

"Passengers are advised to NOT come to the airport at this time. The Airport's social media channels will be updated as and when the situation changes."

It later added in a statement that passengers with immediate flights this afternoon should contact their airline and check the airport’s website for updates.

West Midlands Police said: "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."

It was also reported that passengers on planes that had landed at the airport were being held on board while the incident was dealt with. The airport said those passengers already airside were departing.

A spokesman from West Midlands Fire Service said: "Shortly after 12.20pm on Wednesday (23 October), we were notified of an ongoing incident at Birmingham Airport. Two officers are currently on site, working closely with police, ambulance, and airport staff. Local resources are on standby, ready to provide additional support if needed."

At around 3.30pm, a Birmingham Airport spokesperson said: “Following a Police investigation, some passengers were evacuated and we had to suspend departing flights for a couple of hours. That investigation has now concluded, and operations will slowly be returning to normal.

"All passengers are advised to check latest flight information from their airline. Whilst we apologise for any inconvenience and disruption, the safety and security of everyone at the airport was our number one priority as we worked through this incident with Police partners.”