Airport police investigating incident causing concourse closure early this morning

INDIANAPOLIS—Airport Police Department investigators and explosives experts are investigating a report by local Transportation Security Administration officials of suspect items found in a security screening bin at Concourse D checkpoint early this morning.

The discovery led to closure of Concourse D from 5:10 a.m. until it reopened at 6:20 a.m., when normal operations resumed. Upon the closure, emergency personnel responded and established a security perimeter around the area, escorting passengers to a safe area outside the terminal. Airport bomb disposal personnel removed the bin from the vicinity, moving it to a secure area for further investigation.

“At this time, we do not suspect any passenger, local resident, or other visitor put the items into the bin with the direct intention to delay flights or cause harm,” said APD Major Tom Hanna.

A preliminary APD investigation reveals the items are commonly used for security training purposes to simulate explosive materials, although they are inert and possess no explosive capabilities. No arrests have been made or charges filed in the on-going investigation.

Because the incident happened in the early hours, the impact on individual flights departing from the airport was minimal. Passengers flying express flights via regional jets operated by U.S. Airways and United Airlines bound for east coast destinations did experience slight delays, although no flights were cancelled because of this incident.

Passengers and visitors can view real-time flight data in the “Check My Flight” section of www.ind.com. The data includes both arrivals and departures and the status of all IND flights, including whether they are on time, delayed, or cancelled due to weather or other factors.