MERIDIAN —
Two pieces of luggage left unattended outside the Meridian Regional Airport Thursday caused officials there to shut down the terminal and evacuate all non-essential personnel until it could be determined if the baggage was harmless.
According to Tom Williams, executive director of the Meridian Airport Authority, officials with the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) notified the Meridian Police Department about 11 a.m. when the luggage was discovered behind a row of bushes near the north corner of the terminal.
"The TSA deemed the baggage suspicious and officials with the Meridian Police Department agreed, so for the safety of everyone the decision was made to shut down the terminal," Williams said.
Members of the MPD, TSA, Mississippi Highway Patrol, the Meridian Department of Homeland Security and the Lauderdale County Emergency Management Agency responded to the scene. MPD units closed off the north and south entry/exit points of the airport.
"At this point a request from the TSA to bring in a bomb dog was made," MPD Chief James Reed said. "The bomb team came in from Taylorsville to try and determine if there was any danger."
Reed said at about 1 p.m. the bomb dog and its handler with the MHP arrived, but detected no explosives during a search of the baggage and the area.
By 2 p.m. the baggage was removed. The terminal opened to flights and passengers shortly afterwards. A Delta flight from Atlanta that touched down at about 1:30 p.m. waited on the tarmac before offloading passengers and taking on others headed to Georgia.
Williams said no charges are pending against the owner of the baggage, which is now in the unclaimed luggage area of the airport.
"The luggage was examined and nothing illegal or out of the ordinary was found," Williams said. "It was just filled with personal belongings."
Williams said this is the first time a bomb scare has ever occurred at the airport in the 26 years he has worked there. He applauded the work of all those involved.
"We train with all these agencies on aircraft emergencies and this worked out really well," said Williams.
Local News
Related Photos
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Emergency agency personnel and Meridian Police Department units responded Thursday morning to a report of two suspicious packages at the Meridian Regional Airport on Highway 11 South. The terminal was closed down and evacuated until the packages were deemed harmless. Brian Livingston
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