A specialist explosive detection dog flown into Gisborne. Photo / Gisborne Herald
A specialist explosive detection dog flown into Gisborne. Photo / Gisborne Herald
The Gisborne Airport has reopened after a specialist explosive detection dog was flown in following a bomb threat.
Hundreds of passengers including scores returning home from the popular Rhythm & Vines festival had their travel plans thrown into turmoil with planes diverted mid-air or delayed and cancelled following this morning's threat. They were forced people to wait in fields for hours.
Police swarmed the airport and passengers and staff evacuated from the terminal just after 11am after the airport received a call claiming there was an explosive.
A bomb scare has ground flights and forced people to wait in fields for hours. Photo / Gisborne Herald
The airport said this afternoon flights would resume but delays were expected.
A police spokeswoman said: "The airport has been cleared by staff and nothing was found. Police continue to make enquiries into the circumstances."
Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz said earlier the threat was being taken seriously and a specialist bomb sniffer canine was headed to Gisborne from Wellington to search the premises.
"I've just been updated and we are aware that this morning there was a call made to the airport with a bomb threat in regards to a departing flight so police immediately took over," she said.
Stoltz said a sniffer dog was expected to arrive around mid-afternoon to make an extensive sweep of the airport and aircraft.
"So hopefully the sniffer dog will be able to go through the suitcases and the aircraft in the next hour and hopefully we will be able to open the airport later today without any incident."
Stoltz said the bomb threat had caused considerable disruption across the day.
"I've seen some pictures of people outside the terminal. It's probably one of the busiest days at Gisborne Airport because of the R&V festival and everyone's departing today."
Police are blocking the entrance to the airport. Photo / Gisborne Herald
Airport authorities had been warning passengers to expect hours of delays. It advised anyone due to fly out or pick up someone from the airport today to call ahead and check for delays.
At least four flights leaving Gisborne were delayed and one was cancelled. Others flying in were delayed or diverted.
Portaloos were brought in for waiting passengers, with police continuing to block the entrance to the airport while investigations are underway.
No one was able to leave or enter the airport.
Passengers and staff were forced to evacuate the Gisborne Airport terminal after a threat. Photo / Supplied
A police spokesperson said the cordon would be lifted once police had established the circumstances surrounding the threat and to speak with those involved.
A woman waiting for a flight to Wellington said travellers and staff ushered out of the packed terminal were waiting under trees and in a nearby field while the emergency unfolded.
Emma Clarke said it was proving to be an annoying disruption, as her midday flight home had been cancelled and a second flight was hours away.
She said staff at the airport had not said anything about the evacuation to people waiting on the ground.
The only sign anything was amiss was when travellers were told a plane bound for Auckland was delayed because of a technical issue.
People seek refuge under trees while Gisborne Airport is evacuated following a bomb threat. Photo / Supplied
"Then everyone was made to leave the airport," Clarke said.
At that point everyone was forced to gather in nearby grounds under the sweltering midday sun while emergency services including police and firefighters arrived to investigate the threat to air travellers, she said.
