WINNIPEG — The Winnipeg Airport was evacuated because of a “possible security incident” for nearly an hour on Sunday morning before returning to normal operations.
Officials did not release much information about the incident, saying only that people at the airport should follow directions on site and those on their way to the facility should check with their airlines for the latest flight information.
Claire Renic, who was at the airport to drop off her boyfriend’s family, says she was among the throngs of people left waiting outside the building for 45 minutes starting at about 7:30 a.m.
She says the airport was evacuated of travellers and staff alike.
Renic says police vehicles and armoured cars could be seen nearby, but it wasn’t clear what was going on.
The evacuation was lifted at about 8:15 a.m.
CTVNews.ca Staff
About 2,000 people were forced to evacuate and some planes were grounded for hours due to a suspicious bag found at Winnipeg Airport that turned out to be a false alarm.
Airport spokesperson Tyler MacAfee said the decision to evacuate the terminal came at around 7 a.m. on Sunday, and the all-clear came about one hour later.
“As of 11 a.m. things are basically back to normal,” MacAfee told CTV News.
Passenger Cagla Cakmak was in the terminal when the evacuation call was made.
“They told us that everyone had to leave the airport right away, so we all ran to a parkade,” she said.
“Everyone was very calm, the staff directed us very well,” she added. “Then they made the announcement after half an hour or so that we could go back in.”
Gertie Dae had a different experience. She was on her way to drop her daughter off at the airport when she encountered police blocking traffic outside the terminal.
When it was time to advance, driving was chaotic, according to Dae.
“We’re all stressed already, so maybe next time it could be better,” she said. “Everybody’s nerves (are) very bad at that moment.”
It was the third evacuation at the airport in the past year. Last September, a suspicious bag forced people out of the departures area. In August, the airport was evacuated due to smoke in a computer.
MacAfee said that 17 flights were delayed by the latest incident.
He added that the airport is always refining its procedures.
On Sunday, airport staff worked to identify passengers whose flights were leaving soonest, and “got those people through security first,” according to MacAfee.
With a report from CTV Winnipeg’s Beth Macdonell
Winnipeg Richardson International Airport was fully evacuated Sunday morning after a suspicious bag was found around 7 a.m., Manitoba RCMP confirmed.
Travelers were allowed back into the building about an hour later when it was determined the bag did not pose a threat.
7:26 am – Winnipeg Airport is being evacuated due to a possible security incident. If you are at the airport please follow directions on site. If you are coming to the airport, please check with your airline for latest flight info. — Winnipeg Airport (@YWGairport) June 17, 2018
After a “possible security incident” at the airport, the line to go through security was long as passengers got back in the airport this morning. pic.twitter.com/2ZuMlG2L8Z — Amber McGuckin (@GlobalNewsAmber) June 17, 2018
Passengers took to Twitter to share details about the event and inquire about the status of their flights.
@FlairAirlines I’m supposed to fly with you from the Winnipeg airport in an hour but the airport is being evacuated. What do we do?? — A Lizard (@alyssapinski) June 17, 2018
A possible security incident has prompted the evacuation of @YWGairport. Winnipeg Airport says if you are at the airport, follow directions on site. If you are coming to the airport, check with your airline for the latest flight information. — Caryn Ceolin (@carynceolin) June 17, 2018
A spokesperson for the Winnipeg Airports Authority, Tyler MacAfee, told Global News reporter Cameron Poitras that everyone evacuated from the airport was sent across the street. The evacuation was initiated out of “an abundance of caution” to assess the situation.
– With a file from Cameron Poitras.
RCMP say a "suspicious" abandoned bag is what prompted the evacuation of the Winnipeg's international airport around 7 a.m. Sunday.
Passengers were allowed back inside shortly after 8 a.m. according to the email from RCMP.
About 2,000 people had to leave the building and congregated in the airport parking lot and a total of 17 flights were delayed.
At the time officials released few details about the incident, saying only there was a "possible security incident" that people at the airport should follow directions on the airport's website and those on their way to the facility should check with their airlines for the latest flight information.
8:15am - we are now coordinating all entrances and a return to normal operations. We ask for your patience as we get everyone on their way as soon as possible in an orderly and secure fashion. If you are at the airport, please follow directions on-site. —@YWGairport
A spokesperson for WestJet said four outbound flights alone from the carrier were delayed for between 18 and 72 minutes, but no incoming flights were affected.
Frustrated travellers experienced lengthy delays going through security, with the line up snaking its way through the entire terminal and looping back again.
Hundreds wait in the security line after being allowed back into James A. Richardson International Airport Sunday morning. The airport was evacuated at 7 a.m. due to a security incident. (Austin Grabish/CBC)
Claire Renic, who was at the airport to drop off her boyfriend's family, says she was among the throngs of people left waiting outside the building for 45 minutes, starting at about 7:30 a.m.
She said Winnipeg Richardson International Airport was evacuated of travellers and staff alike.
Renic said police vehicles and armoured cars could be seen nearby, but it wasn't clear what was going on.
A spokesperson for the Winnipeg Richardson International Airport said the situation was resolved at around 8:15 a.m., less than an hour after the airport was evacuated.
The evacuation order was lifted at about 8:15 a.m.
Fredo Ali Kamara was travelling to Edmonton Sunday and said he had been waiting in the security line for more than an hour.
"Of course, I'm frustrated … but I know it is a security problem, and it is for our own safety that things were delayed."
Adrian Macartney and his family were caught up in the evacuation and said, while waiting in the security line, that their plane was supposed to leave in 10 minutes.
"Apparently they're holding [planes] indefinitely, but we don't know what indefinitely means. They're just going to keep holding them until we get on?"
He said his family has a six-hour delay in Edmonton before going home to Vancouver, so he's hopeful they will make their connecting flight.
Tyler MacAfee, spokesperson for the airport, said there have been previous evacuations at the airport and after each evacuation procedures were scrutinized and evacuation plans updated.
"In this one, the messages that we put out on the loudspeaker are a bit different, how we prioritize flights, so today, those flights that needed to get out first, those are the passengers that we identified once they came back inside the building. We got those people through security first."
MacAfee said he understands passengers' frustrations with the delay.
"This isn't the experience we want anyone to have travelling through our airport. But again, these situations happen, safety and security are always going to be top of mind."
