Birmingham Airport issues statement after ‘suspicious device’ found on Aer Lingus flight

Operations have been “temporarily suspended” at Birmingham Airport after a “suspicious device” was found on a plane. An Aer Lingus regional flight between Birmingham and Belfast was reportedly diverted back to the city following the incident.

The Aer Lingus flight is believed to have reached Stoke-on-Trent and then returned to Birmingham Airport, according to Flight Radar. The plane landed safely and all passengers and crew disembarked, a Birmingham Airport spokesman confirmed.

At the time of writing, there are no flights arriving or departing from Birmingham Airport. However, customers due to travel today are asked to go and check in as normal.

Read more: ‘Birmingham Airport operations suspended’ live after ‘suspicious device found on Aer Lingus flight’

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A Birmingham Airport spokesperson told BirminghamLive: “A Birmingham Airport spokesperson said: “Birmingham Airport reopened at 6pm following a security incident on board the aircraft. All passengers and crew disembarked safely. Passengers are advised to check with their airline or the Birmingham Airport website before checking in due to potential delays.”

It previously said: “Birmingham Airport has temporarily suspended operations due to a security incident on board the aircraft. The aircraft has landed safely and all passengers and crew have disembarked. All customers who intend to travel should proceed to the airport and check in as normal.”

A spokesman for Aer Lingus said: “We can confirm that the undeclared item discovered on board Aer Lingus Regional flight EI3647, operated by Emerald Airlines, from Birmingham to Belfast, did not pose a security risk. Our teams are currently working to provide accommodation for the affected passengers.”

Flights due to fly to Birmingham are now being diverted to East Midlands Airport, Manchester Airport and Bristol Airport. Others are being turned back, according to traffic data monitor Inrix.

YouTube channel Airport Action recently reported that emergency vehicles around the landing plane had flown away. This is a groundbreaking incident and we will provide more information via our live blog as the situation develops.