Police investigate suspicious item at Phoenix Sky Harbor airport
Oct 8, 2017, 3:07 PM | Updated: 3:56 pm
PHOENIX — A suspicious item was found in a terminal at Phoenix Sky Harbor airport on Sunday, sparking the closure of two security checkpoints and a large traffic backup.
Officers with the Phoenix Police Department began investigating a suspicious item in Sky Harbor’s Terminal 4 just before 3 p.m. on Sunday.
Police are checking out an item as a precaution in Terminal 4. The B&C Security Checkpoints are currently closed.
— PHX Sky Harbor (@PHXSkyHarbor) October 8, 2017
In response, airport officials closed the B and C security checkpoints as a precaution.
The westbound traffic along Sky Harbor Boulevard to the terminal was also restricted. Traffic was backed up more than 20 minutes during the investigation.
Travelers were allowed to use the A and D security checkpoints and were encouraged to access the airport from the west during the situation.
While the situation caused some hefty delays, it did not last long. Sky Harbor officials announced around 3:45 p.m. that the situation was “cleared” and “operations are returning to normal.” The roadways were also reopened.
Update: The situation has been cleared and operations are returning to normal.
— PHX Sky Harbor (@PHXSkyHarbor) October 8, 2017
According to Heather Lissner, a spokeswoman for Sky Harbor, minor flight delays were possible from the incident. It was not immediately known what caused the shutdown.
According to a post on the Facebook page, Blue Sky Airport Parking told its customers that they were down temporarily after being instructed by airport officials not to enter the airport until it has been deemed safe.
In July, parts of Terminal 4 were closed for more than an hour as police checked out a suspicious item near the baggage area.
Terminal 4 houses hub operations for American Airlines and Southwest Airlines.
