Thousands of travelers were left in delayed mode when a passenger walked into a secured area of Detroit Metropolitan Airport without first receiving a proper security check.
The passenger, who was taking a connecting flight, had already been cleared in the departure area of the airport, NBC News reported. But he then walked back through an exit lane and returned to the secured side without going through the security check again, airport agents said, NBC News reported.
The main McNamara terminal was immediately locked down while airport security officials tried to find the man. They deployed sniffer dogs and stretched out metal shutters at key sites around the airport, keeping passengers clear of the search areas, NBC News reported.
It took more than two hours for airport security officials to lift the lockdown. In the meantime, thousands of passengers were delayed from continuing their flights.
The man was taken into custody.
“Airport officials have the passenger in custody and are questioning [him],” said Brian Lessaline, a spokesman for Detroit Metropolitan Airport, shortly after 11 p.m. on Thursday.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.