Brisbane International Airport is evacuated. Photo / Instagram
Brisbane International Airport is evacuated. Photo / Instagram
A 50-year-old man has been charged following investigations into an incident at the Brisbane International Airport on Saturday night.
Around 9pm, police were called to the international terminal following reports of a man in the food court, armed with a knife who was threatening a woman who is known to him.
Passengers say they witnessed the terrifying scenes of a woman being chased by a man holding a knife, sending the terminal into lockdown. Police have said the incident was a domestic violence related situation and that there was no evidence to suggest the incident was terrorism related.
Police said they negotiated with an Australian man of Middle Eastern origin before firing beanbag rounds.
"He's been examined by [paramedics], he has no significant injuries," Superintendent Tony Fleming said.
Police arrive at Brisbane International Airport after the terminal is evacuated. Photo / Instagram
Police will allege when they arrived they also located a suspicious device and proceeded to evacuate the area. The exclusion zone was revoked at 11pm.
On Sunday, the 50-year-old Surfers Paradise man was charged with one count each of contravene a domestic violence order, stalking with a weapon, stealing and serious assault police.
He has also been charged with two counts each of making a false statement which can be inferred that there is a plan to damage or destroy a commonwealth air navigation facility, bomb hoax, and common assault.
He is due to appear before the Brisbane Magistrate's Court tomorrow.
A second exclusion zone was declared at the Bruce Bishop Carpark in Surfers Paradise just after midnight and revoked at 1.45am.
The man has now been charged following the incident at Brisbane International Airport. Photo / Supplied
Police will allege the exclusion zone in Surfers Paradise was a precaution related to the Brisbane Airport incident.
Specialist police took the man into custody for questioning and authorities continued to conduct clearance searches until midnight. The airport has now been reopened but passengers should expect "flight impacts".
Soon after the man was taken by police, another emergency situation began unfolding on the Gold Coast which police said is related to the airport incident. Police made a declaration under the Public Safety and Preservation Act at Bruce Bishop carpark in Surfers Paradise, around 10.45pm.
Witnesses say police swarmed the terminal after it was put on lockdown. Photo / Instagram
HIGH-PITCHED SCREAMS AND RUNNING
Nick Chapman told news.com.au he was inside the food court when the incident began unfolding a few tables away from him.
"These two girls started running and they were screaming high-pitched," he said. "There was a man chasing these two girls — he was just chasing them, not just anyone."
He said the man was an "older gentleman" and was holding what looked like a "filleting knife".
"He was chasing them with it. He didn't look quick on his feet," he said.
Chapman said other people soon started running away.
Zoe Bickerstaffe was with Chapman and wrote online the incident looked like a "family feud".
It's believed the scenes took place in the food court that's located before any of the security check points at the airport.
Sources told the Courier Mail the man walked inside the airport carrying a metal box with exposed wires and that he later claimed to be carrying a bomb.
Passenger Boon Heng Ong told the Courier Mail the man stopped chasing the girls and returned to his table where he allegedly pulled out a box.
"He grabbed something out of his luggage. It was a black box like a small toolbox," he said. "And everyone was just screaming and running, 'Get out, get out'."
Sherryn Hollioake was set to board a flight when the chaos began.
"We were already inside at (the) food court. We heard it and could see a lot of people running and screaming in the departure area," she wrote on Twitter.
Police, ambulances, a fire truck and the dog squad soon arrived at the scene. It's understood the Specialist Emergency Response Team and the bomb squad responded and the scene was declared an emergency situation shortly after 9pm, with all trains halted and flights grounded.
Police continued to conduct clearance searches into the night. The airport was reopened shortly after midnight and delays are expected to continue into Sunday.
"It will take some time to get operations back to normal. There will be flight impacts," Brisbane Airport said in a statement.
