Three flights experienced disruptions following a bomb threat at a bustling Australian airport triggered by an unexpected device. Avalon Airport, located approximately 55 kilometers west of Melbourne, Australia, was the site of a bomb scare on Thursday, May 21. Security flagged a suspicious item, leading to the airport being placed on lockdown for several hours.
The lockdown was lifted at 11 am. The cause of the disruption turned out to be a laser hair removal device, prompting the police bomb squad to respond to the regional airport around 6 am after security identified the item as concerning. Initially, one person was detained in connection with the incident.
An airport spokesperson confirmed that the Victoria Police declared the item no longer posed a risk. They commended the vigilance of the screening and security procedures, which led to immediate precautionary measures being taken. The Bomb Response Unit verified the item as a laser hair removal device, according to a statement from a Victoria Police spokesperson.
As a result of the incident, the domestic terminal of the airport was closed, causing disruption to several flights. Two flights bound for Sydney were canceled, and a flight to Brisbane was delayed. Fortunately, the international terminal remained unaffected.
Passengers arriving from Bali landed at Avalon shortly before 7 am, and an outbound Jetstar flight to Bali was scheduled for later that evening. The airport spokesperson warned of expected delays and advised passengers to contact Jetstar for information regarding their flights.
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