False bomb alarm alerts Tirana airport

TIRANA, July 12 – A phone call caused a scare Friday at Mother Teresa Tirana International Airport as all people were evacuated from the terminal and flights postponed.
A phone call at 1330 local time (1230 GMT) said there was a bomb at the airport and, based on an emergency plan, all passengers and personnel were evacuated from the passenger and cargo terminals.
Following the alert, all the security agencies operating at TIA performed standard procedures used in such cases, said the airport management. The detailed checks undertaken throughout the airport determined that the threat was false. Due to the security measures, some minor delays were recorded in flight operations.
The local media also reported that police had found two teens who had made the phone call and had excluded that there was any possible terrorist attack on the airport.
Last year, the airport opened new passenger and cargo terminals and improved road access.
A German-U.S. consortium took over airport operations in April 2005, as part of a 20-year concession. Fourteen airlines connect Tirana with 30 destinations. (Tirana Times Staff)