A DOZY passenger who left a bag in a toilet sparked airport chaos yesterday (Mon).
Over 1,000 passengers including holiday-goers had to flee Edinburgh airport while an army bomb squad moved in to probe the suspicious luggage.
They blew up the bag and subsequent investigations revealing nothing more than a standard travel bag.
Passengers were stuck outside the terminal in the rain for three hours.
Armed police protected all of the airport’s main entrances, while passengers lined the surrounding roads after the 2pm discovery.
Once the all-clear came through at 5pm, they all had to rejoin massive queues at the security scanning gate – even if they had already gone through.
Around 150 flights were delayed for up to two hours last night, while police said they were attempting to trace the bag owner.
During the evacuation, 25 flights were left in limbo with incoming flights diverted or delayed, while outgoing flights were grounded until passengers could board.
One passenger said: “It’s been pandemonium.
“We had just boarded an airport bus after parking and immediately got turned back around by police.
“All they would tell us was that there had been a bomb scare, which isn’t very reassuring.”
An airport spokesperson said: “A controlled explosion was carried out but the package was found to pose no threat.
“There has been huge disruption and we would advice passengers to check our website or contact their flight operator to find out how their plans could be affected.”
A police spokesman added: “At around 2.20pm on Monday, police were alerted to a suspicious item of luggage that was discovered within the toilets at the domestic arrivals area of Edinburgh Airport.
“As a result of this discovery, the terminal building was evacuated, and the Army EOD were called to attend.
“They examined the luggage, and found that it posed no threat. Enquires are underway to establish how the luggage came to be located within the toilets.
“BAA and Lothian and Borders Police are now working together to ensure a safe return to normality, and we would ask those members of the public who are experiencing delays for their patience and co-operation.”
