Part of Cincinnati airport closed temporarily

Airline Industry Information, March 29, 2005

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2005 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

Part of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport was temporarily shut down on Sunday (27 March) after what appeared to be a gun was spotted by baggage screeners.

The screeners noticed an X-ray image that resembled a gun after the passenger had picked up the bag and left the checkpoint, said a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) spokesperson. Part of the airport was closed for about two hours while officials searched for the passenger and the weapon but neither was found.

Officials do not believe that the passenger boarded an aircraft, as the relevant part of the airport was closed and all passengers had to go through security checks again.

The TSA is investigating why the screeners did not notice the image immediately, reported The Associated Press.

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