Genesee County 911 is confirming passengers have been evacuated from Bishop International Airport in Flint, Michigan due to a bomb threat.
What’s Happening?
An unattended bag was found at Bishop International Airport in Flint, Michigan. This prompted an evacuation of roughly 200 people.
Everyone is reported safe. Local, state and federal police are investigating. One person has reportedly been questioned in related to the unattended bag.
Passengers are being advised to check with their airlines about flight delays and cancellations. You should not go to the airport at this point. The airport is open, but the terminals are not, according to airport director Craig Williams.
Bishop will announce on social media when the airport has reopened.
Vernell Phipps, of Saginaw, was waiting at the airport before 11:00 A.M. on Thursday, June 8, to pick up a relative on an American Airlines return flight.
“As soon as I pulled up I saw everyone walk out,” Phipps said. “I saw everyone coming out the door and one guy said they evacuated.”
Phipps said three K-9s and 12 officers, in addition to the Michigan State Police Bomb Squad truck, arrive on the scene.
On the tarmac, Carl Pollard, who Phipps was picking up, sent a text saying that the flight’s captain informed passengers that there would be about an hour delay due to a suspicious bag inside of the airport.
Bishop International Airport
Bishop International Airport is a commercial and general aviation airport located in Flint, Michigan. It is named after banker and General Motors board member Arthur Giles Bishop, who donated 220 acres of his farmland for the airport in 1928.
The airport is currently served by several passenger airlines: Allegiant Air, Southwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines operate mainline service out of the airport, as well as affiliates of Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and American Airlines. Additionally, FedEx Express and one of its affiliates operate cargo services out of the airport.
The airport houses 91 aircraft and served a total of 787,000 passengers during the 2016 calendar year. It is the third-busiest airport in Michigan.