Dublin Airport terminal reopens after suspicious baggage sparks security alert

Terminal 2 at Dublin Airport was evacuated as a precaution after an item of luggage raised concerns, Irish police have said.

The terminal was closed for a short period on Saturday before reopening around 2pm.

Gardai said officers responded to a report of an item of airline luggage of concern.

“As a precaution, Terminal 2 Dublin Airport was evacuated and traffic entering Dublin Airport was restricted,” the force said.

“An Garda Siochana requested the assistance of the Defence Forces’ explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team.

“Following a preliminary examination on scene, the piece of luggage was contained and deemed safe for removal from T2 to an alternate location which would not impact on airport operations.”

The Garda spokesperson said the luggage at the centre of the situation was subject to further examination by the EOD team and declared safe.

They said inquiries were continuing and added: “Based on the information available to An Garda Siochana and other relevant stakeholders, this was an appropriate and responsible approach to the situation which was presented.”

Dublin Airport said on social media that some temporary disruption may continue during the remainder of the day, and urged passengers to check with their airline for updates.

They added that a separate Europe-wide software issue is causing minor impacts at both Dublin and Cork Airports.