LAX Terminal Evacuation: 21 Flights Canceled For Re-Screening

LOS ANGELES — Twenty-one flights at Los Angeles International Airport were canceled early Thursday and seven more were diverted after Terminal 1 had to be evacuated due to problems stemming from a major power outage. The airport tweeted Thursday that TSA was re-screening guests in the terminal out of an abundance of caution.

Repair work was underway Thursday on the main power line that plunged Los Angeles International Airport into chaos that forced a mass re-screening of passengers in Terminal 1.

A sweep of the building was completed and all TSA lanes were open, the airport said. Furthermore, passenger screening was "moving well."

The TSA confirmed that several flights were canceled and some passengers were forced to deplane at the terminal. The agency said it decided to re-screen all passengers because one airline — it didn't say which — allowed passengers on canceled flights to grab their checked luggage. This inadvertently resulted in what the TSA called an "introduction of prohibited items into the secure area of the airport." About 1,500 passengers had to be re-screened.

Airport police and TSA sent additional officers to expedite the screening process, the airport said. It estimated re-screening would take about an hour.

Southwest Airlines, which flies out of Terminal 1, was holding passengers until the re-screening process resumes.

"Passengers flying with Southwest should contact the airline for the latest on their flight," the airport wrote.

CBSLA reported the power went out around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. Twitter user Amaan Maregia, a sophomore student at UCLA, wrote that he was preparing to board his plane after a roughly 10-hour delay at the airport when law enforcement officers swarmed the terminal and "forced everyone to evacuate."

LAX Evacuations, with security saying it isn’t a drill, and multiple police outside. pic.twitter.com/kfZ4mpC5fH
— Amaan Maredia (@amaan_maredia) June 6, 2019