Flights were cancelled and another was delayed after an unexpected device sparked a bomb scare at an airport early in the morning – police bomb squad rushed to the scene
Three flights faced disruptions after a bomb threat at a busy Australian airport was sparked by an unexpected device.
Avalon Airport, about 55 kilometres west of Melbourne, Australia, was the scene of a bomb scare on Thursday, May 21. The airport was placed into lockdown for several hours after a suspicious item was flagged by security.
The lockdown ended at 11am, according to reports.
The culprit: a laser hair removal device.
The police bomb squad rushed to the regional airport at about 6am after security check flagged the item to be of concern.
One person was initially detained.
An airport spokesperson said: “Victoria Police have deemed the item is no longer deemed a risk.”
“The response demonstrated the vigilance of the screening and security processes, with precautionary measures taken immediately.”
The Bomb Response Unit checked the item and confirmed it was a laser air removal device, a Victoria Police spokesperson said.
The airport’s domestic terminal was closed and several flights were disrupted.
Two flights to Sydney were cancelled, while a flight to Brisbane delayed.
The international terminal was not affected.
Passengers travelling from Bali landed at Avalon shortly before 7am and an outbound Jetstar flight to Bali is scheduled for this evening.
An airport spokesperson said delays are expected and advised passengers to contact Jetstar regarding their flights, a local news outlet reported.
