Operations return to normal after bomb threat at Winnipeg airport

Some travellers were delayed after an anonymous caller warned of a bomb at the Winnipeg airport Thursday morning — one of several threats that temporarily grounded flights across Canada.

Police stationed at the Winnipeg Richardson International Airport were made aware of the bomb threat at approximately 6:05 a.m., RCMP Sgt. Paul Manaigre said in an email.

“The phone call stated there was a bomb in the control tower. Officers conducted a physical search of the tower and no suspicious items were located,” he said. “Based on my conversation with detachment at the airport, it appears the same calls were made to the other airports across the country.

“No motive or suspect that I can speak to right now.”

Nav Canada, which provides air traffic control operations to Canadian airports, said the early-morning threats affected Ottawa, Montreal, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver airports. It said employees are safe.

Winnipeg Airports Authority spokeswoman Kerilee Falloon confirmed in an email some flights were delayed as a result of the threat. She said the incident had minimal impact on operations overall.

Nav Canada issued a statement around 10 a.m., indicating operations had returned to normal at the affected sites.

Some travellers in Winnipeg were left scrambling.

Saskatoon residents John Belbin and Paulette Bosch, on their way to a funeral Friday in West Virginia, were stuck in Winnipeg Thursday morning after missing their connecting flight to Atlanta.

Their flight from Saskatoon to Winnipeg was delayed an hour because of the threat.

Belbin said they will miss the funeral because their new flights have them scheduled to land in West Virginia Friday evening.

“They won’t wait to do a funeral for us,” said Belbin. “We just have to deal with the punches.”

Nav Canada could not disclose the specific nature of the threat “in the interest of security protocols” but it pledged to work with authorities as an investigation progresses, the statement said.

“Travellers are encouraged to check directly with their airlines for the latest updates, as delays may still occur. We sincerely thank the airlines and passengers for their patience, and we commend our employees and law enforcement for their swift response,” it said.

The Winnipeg airport’s website showed some flights departed between one and two hours late Thursday morning.

Around 10:30 a.m., no police were present inside or around the airport. People checked in with their respective airlines and continued through security without interruption.

Linda Ann Morias expected to end her five-week vacation with a relaxing trip home to Merritt, B.C., but her flight to Vancouver was pushed back more than an hour.

At first, she thought it was due to weather until her daughter-in-law checked the news.

“We’ve had a wonderful family vacation, and this is what happens,” she said. “I’m concerned. It’s the world that we live in.”

RCMP in Richmond, B.C., said they received a report of a threat at the Vancouver airport’s Nav Canada control tower around 2 a.m. local time. The tower was evacuated and no threats were found after a search, the force said in a news release.

U.S. Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson Kevin Morris said in a statement there were “brief ground stops” at airports in Montreal and Ottawa, and they were lifted at around 7:40 a.m.

The Ottawa airport announced to passengers a little after 10 a.m. that it was close to resuming normal operations.

The Montreal airport also confirmed it was back in full operation.

— with files from Matthew Frank and The Canadian Press

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca