Flights halted at Bahamas airport after bomb threat; Operations resume hours later

Bahamas: Operations at the Lynden Pindling International Airport were shut down Sunday morning, following a bomb threat via a phone call on the third floor of Terminal B. Nassau Airport Development Company said that the Operations Center activated emergency protocols and evacuated the terminals, while also notifying the authorities.

Police and fire officers were immediately dispatched to the airport after receiving an emergency call soon after 7:00 am. Officers from the Airport Division, Anti-Terrorism Unit, Security Intelligence, Police K-9 Unit, and Fire Services, along with NAD and Airport Authority officials conducted a thorough investigation of the area.

All the passengers and staff members were safely taken to the parking lot, while arriving flights were stopped for a full security check of the buildings.

The operations were later resumed at around 9:00 am, after following proper protocols. Investigations remained ongoing despite the safe and all clear sign by the authorities. “Please be advised that at 9:13 am, the all clear was given by authorities following this morning’s security incident at Lynden Pindling International Airport. After completing the required safety screening of the terminal buildings, officials from the Royal Bahamas Police Force and the Fire Services Department confirmed that normal airport operations may resume," said NAD.

They further stated "Passengers and employees who were evacuated as a precaution have been allowed to return to the terminal, and incoming and outbound flights are now being processed. Some delays may still occur as operations return to normal.”

Several flights were delayed causing many passengers to miss their flights. One of the passengers, Fennel Eetienne, said that he did not know about the threat before arriving at the airport. Upon his arrival, he was also led to the parking lot for safety which caused him to miss his connecting flight in Fort Lauderdale.