All flights grounded at Lyon airport over knife in luggage
Passenger trying to pass security with knife leads to three-hour delays
Those whose flights were already on the runway had to return and disembark
Jaromir Chalabala / Shutterstock
All flights from Lyon’s Saint-Exupéry airport were temporarily grounded this morning (July 5), after airport authorities were required to carry out an impromptu safety check when an individual attempted to take a knife through security.
The announcement was made at around 06:00, delaying flights for up to three hours.
Passengers already seated on flights set to leave around this time were forced to reyturn and disembark.
Flights started leaving at around 09:00, with the backlog causing delays throughout the morning.
As of 11:50, most flights are now running on schedule.
‘Nothing malicious’ related to incident
A passenger had attempted to make their way through airport security with a small knife in their backpack, leading border police and security officials to investigate the matter.
Airport protocol dictates that during such investigation all flights from the airport must be grounded.
One unnamed security officer said the knife had been “left in the bag by mistake,” by the passenger, and that “nothing malicious” was planned.
The individual was questioned both by security officers at the airport, as well as national and local police.
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