Flights were delayed at Liverpool John Lennon airport after an army bomb disposal team was called in to investigate a suspicious package.
A man was reportedly detained at the airport while experts investigated the item, described as a “battery pack of unique appearance”, on Tuesday evening.
Passengers were kept on aircraft and prevented from going through security while the incident was being dealt with after the package was found at around 5.55pm through routine security checks.
Police were called initially, and advised airport staff to call in the army bomb specialists who arrived and made the area safe.
Check-in desks and shops remained closed for several hours after the incident, and passengers were warned to expect ongoing delays, the Liverpool Echo reported.
An airport spokesman said last night: “As a precautionary measure the terminal was evacuated and the Army Bomb Disposal Team were called to undertake further investigation.
“Following this, the area was declared safe and passengers are now returning to the terminal. Operations are resuming as normal, though there may be some disruption as a result.”
A police spokesman said: “At around 5.55pm, a suspicious item was found through routine security checks of a man due to fly out of the airport.
“The item was examined by specialist EOD (explosive ordnance) officers and following enquiries, found to be a battery pack of unique appearance.
“The man in possession of the item was detained while these examinations took place.
“Working alongside airport security, a cordon was put in place within the airport as the enquiries were carried out, to ensure that the public were safe at all times.”