Ignition device and inert surplus military supplies found in a bag the passenger brought to the airport. Security officials raised the alarm after scanning the bag.
It was confirmed that a suspicious bag scanned at Victoria International Airport contained an incendiary device plus inert surpluses from military supplies, the airport said in a statement on Tuesday night.
The bag, brought by a passenger, was scanned shortly after 1:30 pm in the check-in area by Canadian Air Security officials.
“They scanned the bag and realized there were objects inside that could be [of] dangerous nature and at this point the police were called to the scene to come and conduct further investigation “, RCMP Square. This was said by Andrew Sanchez at an evening press conference.
All inbound and outbound flights have been suspended while police can determine if it is safe to travel, Sanchez said.
Specialists were brought to the airport in Vancouver to take the item out of the place and find out what’s in the bag.
“It has been confirmed that the call for service was an incendiary item and inert surplus military supplies contained in checked baggage,” the airport said in a statement.
About 20 scheduled flights were canceled between 2.30pm and 8.30pm
“As always, the safety and security of our staff and visitors is our priority,” said Jeff Dixon, chief executive of Victoria Airport.
Parts of the air terminal were closed after police worried about the safety of staff and passengers, he said.
The airport resumed its regular operations on Tuesday night.
Sanchez did not describe the item in the bag, except to say that it looked like an igniter. The person who brought the bag to the departure area is under investigation, he said.
“At the moment, we are trying to determine whether any criminal charges are applicable in this case,” he said. “Again, because we don’t know exactly what’s in this bag, we can’t talk about it anymore.”
He did not know how many flights were affected, but said the airport was full of passengers. Travelers were advised to check with their airline or go to the airport’s website for flight updates.
The cancellation has prompted passengers to seek alternative transport. Helijet, which operates regular flights from Victoria Airport to Vancouver Harbor, Nanaimo Harbor and Vancouver International Airport, has received a wave of flight booking calls, spokesman Rick Hill said.
Some airlines were able to book passengers for flights on Wednesday, but others faced longer waits.
Cathy, who did not want to give her last name, was trying to return home to Toronto. “We are stuck, our re-registration is only on Saturday,” she said. “Otherwise we have to go to the ferry and go to Vancouver.”
She was already registered when she heard that the flights had been canceled. “Everyone was asked to take their bags and leave, so here we are.”
Carolyn and Erwin Beitel were still hoping to reach Calgary on Tuesday night on the way to Regina and Emerald Lake.
“We heard different things that Trudeau was in town, so all the guards were there,” Erwin Beitel said. And then we heard something about luggage somewhere.
Carolyn Beitel said she saw an arrested man.
“I was watching my flights and not paying attention, then suddenly I heard that shout,” she said.
“They made this man turn around and tried to handcuff him. The policeman shouted for him to get his hands back. He handcuffed him. “
Travelers remained at the terminal, although some areas were closed.
Greg Pierce, who lives in Calgary, said it was “strange” that he could not walk from where he left his bag to security. The area was cut off and he had to walk outside instead.
“I was sitting there waiting for my flight, doing some work on my laptop and looking outside and noticing that there was no plane,” he said. “It was about five minutes before we left. They called and said it was canceled. “
Pierce said he received an email saying he had booked a flight on Wednesday, “which is not terrible. I am lucky to have a flexible job and I can even work from a hotel if I have to.
“I’m going to miss 12 hours of my life because they were pretty careful, which I don’t think is a big deal, but I’m pretty privileged.”
cjwilson@timescolonist.com
ngrossman@timescolonist.com
Add Comment