Suspicious Baggage At BWI: Airport Gives All Clear

BALTIMORE, MD — An unattended bag caused delays for travelers getting to BWI Thurgood Marshall International Airport Monday evening by automobile. For more than an hour, law enforcement prevented vehicles from accessing the departures area on the upper deck.

At 5 p.m., a Maryland Transportation Authority Police officer discovered unattended luggage, which a K-9 swept and prompted an alert, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal. The bomb squad was requested, and the public was cleared from the area for the investigation.

Before 6 p.m. BWI officials reported there was a suspicious situation under investigation in the area. Flights were not impacted by the unattended bag, according to BWI.

On the other hand, vehicles dropping off passengers at the airport were affected: Traffic was stopped on the upper level near the departures area for the investigation, officials said. Drivers were able to access the lower level, which is dedicated to arrivals.

After the bomb squad conducted an x-ray, the fire marshal said the luggage was deemed non-hazardous.

Before 7:30 p.m., airport officials gave the all clear, noting that terminal areas and the road that had been closed would reopen shortly.

The package in question was discovered between the C and D piers and had not yet gone through security, according to WBAL, which reported traffic backups extended 2 miles from the airport.

Graphic by Patch.