Arson device and inert surplus military supplies found in the bag the passenger carried to the airport. Security personnel alerted after scanning the bag.
A suspicious bag scanned at Victoria International Airport has been confirmed to contain an incendiary device and a surplus of inert military supplies, the airport said in a statement Tuesday evening.
The bag carried by a passenger was scanned shortly after 1:30 p.m. in the check-out area by Canadian Air Safety Authority personnel.
“They scanned the bag and noticed that there were items inside that could be [of] a dangerous nature and at that time the police were called to the scene to come and investigate further, “the RCMP Corporal Andrew Sanchez told a news conference in the evening.
All entry and exit flights were suspended until police could determine if the public was safe to travel, Sanchez said.
Specialists were taken to the airport from Vancouver to take the item out of place and determine what was in the bag.
“It is confirmed that the call for service was an incendiary item and inert surplus military supplies contained in checked baggage,” an airport statement said.
About 20 scheduled flights were canceled between 14:30 and 20:30
“As always, the safety of our staff and visitors is our priority,” said Geoff Dickson, executive director of the Victoria Airport Authority.
Parts of the air terminal were closed after police were concerned about the safety of staff and passengers, he said.
The airport resumed normal operations on Tuesday evening.
Sanchez did not describe the object inside the bag but to say that it looked like an incendiary device. The individual who brought the bag to the exit area is under investigation, he said.
“Right now, we are trying to determine if there are any applicable criminal charges in this case,” he said. “Again, because we don’t know exactly what’s in this bag, we can’t talk about it anymore.”
He did not know how many flights were affected, but said the airport was full of passengers. Travelers were advised to check with their airline or visit the airport website for flight updates.
The cancellations prompted passengers to look for alternative transportation. Helijet, which operates regular flights from Victoria Airport to Vancouver Harbor, Nanaimo Harbor and Vancouver International Airport, received a large number of calls to book flights, spokesman Rick Hill said.
Some airlines were able to re-book passengers on Wednesday flights, but others were faced with longer waits.
Cathy, who did not want to give her last name, was trying to return home to Toronto. “We are stuck, our reservation is not until Saturday,” he said. “Or we’ll have to go to the ferry and go to Vancouver.”
She was already registered when she learned that the flights had been canceled. “Everyone was asked to pick up the suitcase and leave, so here we are.”
Carolyn and Erwin Beitel were still waiting to arrive in Calgary on Tuesday night on their way to Regina and Emerald Lake.
“We heard different things, that Trudeau was in town and that’s why there was all the security,” Erwin Beitel said. “And then we heard something about luggage somewhere.”
Carolyn Beitel said she saw a man arrested.
“I was watching my flights and I wasn’t paying attention, and all of a sudden I heard that scream,” he said.
“They turned this man around and were trying to handcuff him. The policeman shouted at him to put his hands back. He punched him.”
Passengers remained at the terminal, although some areas were closed.
Greg Pierce, who lives in Calgary, said he found it “curious” that he couldn’t walk from where he left his bag to safety. The area was cordoned off and he had to walk outside.
“I was sitting there waiting for my flight doing some work on my laptop and I looked outside and realized there was no plane,” he said. “It was about five minutes before we had to leave. They called and said it was canceled.”
Pierce said he received an email saying he had booked on a Wednesday flight, “which is not terrible. I’m lucky to have a flexible job and could even work from a hotel if I need to.” .
“I’m going to lose 12 hours of my life because they were being pretty careful, which I don’t think is a big deal, but I’m pretty privileged.”
cjwilson@timescolonist.com
ngrossman@timescolonist.com