The Tribune

By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter 

Kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

A BOMB threat forced a temporary evacuation at Lynden Pindling International Airport yesterday morning, disrupting travel and triggering a security sweep before authorities declared the facility safe.

Police said officers at the Airport Police Station were alerted shortly after 7.30am by an official from the Nassau Airport Development Company who reported receiving a call claiming a bomb had been placed on the third floor of Terminal B.

Officers from the Airport Division, Anti-Terrorism Unit, Security Intelligence, Police K-9 Unit and fire services responded and conducted a thorough sweep of the area. Nearby businesses, including car rental companies, were also evacuated.

Authorities later gave clearance for people to return to the facility at 9.13am after completing safety screening of terminal buildings. Passengers and employees were allowed back inside as airport operations resumed.

In a statement, NAD said incoming and outgoing flights were being reprocessed and warned of delays as the airport worked to restore normal operations. Passengers were advised to arrive at their normal check-in times and follow instructions from airport personnel.

Hundreds of travellers waited outside the airport as the situation unfolded.

One Bahamian passenger, John, criticised the handling of the evacuation.

"They had us moving around the parking lot, it just was a bunch of confusion and I think they need to put a strategy in place for when we have incidents like this again," he said.

Chris Penland, a tourist, said the disruption caused him and his party to miss a boat they planned to take to Marsh Harbour.

"We missed our boat which left at 9am, so now we're trying to figure out how to find a boat amongst the islands out there," he said, describing the delay as part of a run of bad luck. "Its par for the course - just our luck."

Ralph Brennan, a Bahamian traveller scheduled for a noon flight, said he expected significant delays.

"9.30 the entire airport is shut down, that means they have to restart the airport much like they do 5am in the morning, so I suspect I'm not going to make it for my 12pm flight — major inconvenience," Mr Brennan said. "Thank God I do not have a connecting flight; it's a direct flight from here to Virginia where I'm going, so hopefully I'm able to make it."

Kai Strachan, who was travelling back to school, said the disruption would likely delay her flight.

"I'm heading back to school and this is very inconvenient. My flight will definitely be delayed," she said. "This is just crazy."

Another traveller, Glen, said he had a 9am flight with a connection to the Dominican Republic through Turks and Caicos.

"I'm waiting for them to put me in a hotel," he said. "There is an international law that they have to put people in hotels and get everything sorted, it's not about reimbursements, it's about passengers rights."

Police said investigations into the bomb threat are ongoing and urged anyone with information to contact police at 911, 919 or the nearest police station.