Victoria International Airport reopened on Tuesday afternoon after commercial flights were canceled for much of the day following the discovery of a pair of inert hand grenades and other surplus military equipment in the luggage of a passenger.
Police are charged with felony criminal mischief against the passenger of the plane, who has been released while the investigation continues.
The airport was closed and all commercial flights were canceled around 1:30 p.m. after luggage scanners saw what appeared to be a pair of hand grenades inside a bag on the machine. X-ray of the airport, Cpl of the RCMP. Andy Sanchez said Wednesday.
Another bag from the same passenger was found in the departure area. Sanchez said the bag could not be scanned, so the decision was made to call the RCMP’s bomb disposal unit from the Lower Mainland.
Passengers were asked to avoid the airport for several hours while the bomb disposal unit was en route.
At around 8pm, the airport issued an update saying the disruption was over and the airport had reopened.
“It is confirmed that the call for service was an incendiary item and inert surplus military supplies contained in checked baggage,” the airport statement said.
“We don’t usually see grenades or incendiary devices [the airport]”At this stage, police will investigate a grievance charge,” Sanchez said.
The RCMP spokesman said police did not know the passenger.
Airport operations were expected to return to normal on Wednesday, although persistent delays are expected due to the volume of flights that were canceled and diverted on Tuesday.