Updated Monday, 1:30 p.m.: A spokeswoman for ConocoPhillips Alaska said the passenger detained at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport Sunday was carrying a device “typically used for avalanche control.”
In a written statement, Amy Burnett said the passenger was booked on a Shared Services flight bound for Deadhorse when the device was discovered during a routine security screening.
Initial investigation by security personnel confirmed “there was no ill will intended,” Burnett wrote.
Original story below.
ANCHORAGE – Parts of Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport were shut down Sunday afternoon after a potential explosive device was discovered in a passenger’s luggage.
Airport Manager John Parrott said the device was discovered in a carry-on bag around 3:30 p.m. by Transportation Security Administration agents screening passengers through the airport’s security checkpoint. The owner of the bag was detained and the security checkpoint was shut down while an explosive ordinance disposal unit responded to the airport, Parrott said.
The EOD unit — comprised of airport police and Anchorage Police Department officers — would inspect the device and dispose of it, Parrott said.
Meanwhile, he said the airport is working with Alaska Airlines to find an alternate route for passengers to exit the terminal.
This is a developing story.