Jackson International Airport evacuated

Airline Industry Information, Oct 8, 2004

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

Jackson International Airport in Mississippi was evacuated on 7 October 2004 after security officials spotted a suspicious object in a piece of luggage.

The luggage belonged to a 25-year-old man with a criminal record who then refused to tell officials what was in the metal briefcase. Federal security officers at the airport decided to evacuate the 500 people in the terminal building and called in the Jackson Explosive Ordnance Disposal team to destroy the briefcase.

Flights were delayed during the 90-minute closure. The man was trying to board an American Eagle flight to Dallas when the incident occurred and the case has now been forwarded to prosecutors to see if any charges will be brought. The suspicious object turned out to be a cologne bottle with headphones wrapped around it and two mobile phone batteries, reports The Clarion-Ledger.

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