ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — A bomb threat that halted commercial flights Friday morning at the St. John's International Airport was not really a threat at all, police and airport officials said.
The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and officials from the airport and Transport Canada deemed the threat "non-credible," and the airport reopened around 11:30 a.m.
Ryan Howell, a spokesperson for the airport authority, said operations resumed after "minimal disruptions."
"It's a happy ending," Howell said in an interview.
The airport first posted about the threat on X, formerly Twitter, just before 8:30 a.m. local time, asking the public to stay away from the airport's main terminal, which is about nine kilometres north of downtown St. John's.
"Flight operations have been paused while the investigation is occurring," the post said.
Officials evacuated the terminal building and a canine unit from the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary searched the building.
By 11 a.m., no legitimate threat had been found, and officials announced the airport would reopen.
Departure times for two PAL Airlines flights were delayed to Friday afternoon, Howell said. Otherwise, there were no impacts on flight schedules. Non-commercial flights such as medical evacuations were not affected because they operate from a different part of the airport, Howell said.
The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary said on X that they are still investigating what happened even though the threat posed no risk to public safety.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 12, 2024.
The Canadian Press
