BBC News coverage of plane bomb alert
A “suspicious object” found at East Midlands Airport was on a flight from Yemen to Chicago, the BBC understands.
Parts of the airport were sealed off twice following the package’s discovery but the cordons have now been lifted.
The BBC’s Danny Shaw said it is understood that the item was on board a UPS cargo plane on a routine stop at East Midlands.
It was re-examined after UPS cargo planes were later grounded at Newark in New Jersey and Philadelphia.
Scotland Yard says there is nothing to suggest that any location in the UK was being targeted.
No other UK airports are affected by the security alerts.
The plane travelling from Yemen to the US had stopped at East Midlands airport. The cargo was examined, tests were carried out and the object has now been sent for “scientific examination.”
According to the BBC’s Home Affairs correspondent Daniel Sandford, it was not a “bomb” but was “potentially sinister”.
Emergency services were called to the Donington site at East Midlands airport at about 0330 BST and evacuated a distribution centre. The area was reopened just before 1000 BST but a cordon was re-imposed just before 1400 BST so the package could be re-examined.
All cordons were lifted at about 1740 BST.
A Leicestershire Constabulary spokesman said the package at East Midlands was re-examined “as a precaution”.
This meant a freight distribution building and a number of offices were closed, together with two internal airport roads.
No details have been given as to why the package was re-examined after being declared safe.
A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said: “We are aware of the incident and it is a matter for the police. The Department for Transport is taking the lead on this.”
According to the Home Office, the current threat level from international terrorism to the UK is classed as severe, meaning a terrorist attack is highly likely.
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