Thousands of passengers faced chaos at Edinburgh Airport on Friday night after a potentially suspicious package forced a full evacuation, with bomb disposal teams rushing to the scene and flights diverted to other airports.
Police Scotland said the report came in around 6.50pm on 19 June 2026. Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) personnel were deployed, a cordon was thrown around the airport and roads were closed. Some flights were diverted to land at nearby airports including Glasgow, while planes also took off from different locations.
“Edinburgh Airport evacuated after suspicious package sparks chaos; police later say not suspicious.”
Passengers already on the tarmac after landing found themselves stranded on aircraft, unable to disembark. Alan Jenkins, a passenger, posted on X: "New update from our pilot: We are 'all in the dark I'm afraid' as to when we can get off the plane. We're told all ground staff have been told to return to offices." He added that some fellow passengers had "a few questions" about getting off in time for Scotland's World Cup match against Morocco.
Transport to and from the airport was also hit. Edinburgh trams ran only between Gyle Centre and St Andrew Square, while Scottish Citylink buses terminated at the Moxi hotel bus stop and picked up from the Hilton bus stop.
Edinburgh Airport said in a statement: "Due to reports of a potentially suspicious item, the airport has been evacuated while specialist teams investigate. Passengers should check with their airline for the latest information on their flight."
However, later on Saturday, police confirmed the incident was not being treated as suspicious. Services began returning to normal, with long queues forming as passengers tried to rebook or collect luggage. The alert, which had grounded hundreds of travellers and disrupted Scotland's busiest airport, was over.