Hundreds of passengers at the EuroAirport near Basel again had to wait instead of take off on Thursday. The terminal was evacuated at midday for security reasons.
The EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg was evacuated again on Thursday afternoon. For security reasons, as an announcement at EuroAirport said. All passengers and visitors as well as employees of the binational airport near the border then left the building. It was the fourth evacuation of the terminal within seven days.
According to SWR observation, the passengers reacted calmly to the request to leave the building. In the late afternoon the all-clear was given, the terminal was released and machines were allowed to start again.
Based on the experiences of the last few days, the airport was well prepared for the situation. Since the previous evacuations, there have been mobile toilets in front of the building, and a bus takes passengers to Saint-Louis, where they can stay in the warmth. The access road to EuroAirport was closed.
According to information from employees on site, the search of the building lasted up to three hours on previous occasions. The travelers were then able to enter the airport again. It was still unclear on Thursday afternoon when regular flight operations could resume. Passengers were asked to check with their airline.
More airports in France cleared
Three other French airports were also evacuated on Thursday. Bordeaux, Tarbes and Pau were also affected, airport circles said. There were a total of 70 false alarms at French airports last week. According to Transport Minister Clément Beaune, most of them came from a single email address whose trace led to Switzerland. 60 cases are being investigated.
Highest alert level in France
In France, the highest of three alert levels has been in effect since an Islamist-motivated attack on a teacher in Arras. The Louvre Museum in Paris and the Palace of Versailles were also evacuated several times following threats. Jewish institutions and schools are currently under increased security. The background is the tensions resulting from the war between Israel and the radical Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas.
Source : Tages Schau
