The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

A SUSPECTED gas odour forced the temporary evacuation of the US departures terminal at Lynden Pindling International Airport on Friday morning, leaving long queues and threatening delays to outbound flights before authorities identified and isolated the source.

The Nassau Airport Development Company said its Operations Centre received reports of the odour near the airline corridor in Terminal C at about 10.55am.

The Airport Authority’s Crash Fire and Rescue team, along with NAD’s Maintenance and Safety teams, responded immediately and began assessing the area.

NAD said the Fire Marshal ordered the evacuation while the source was being investigated.

“The Fire Marshal determined that a temporary evacuation of Terminal C was necessary,” NAD said, “while the assessment was underway, and out of an abundance of caution, passengers were directed to designated areas outside the facility.”

The source of the issue was later identified and isolated, although NAD did not say what caused the odour.

Officials determined there was no further concern for passengers, employees or airport operations, and the all-clear was given at 11.47am.

Airport employees were allowed back into the terminal first to prepare for passenger processing. Passengers began re-entering at about noon, when check-in and processing resumed.

The disruption, however, left long queues in parts of Terminal C and created the possibility of delays to departing flights.

“All agencies including airlines are working to process passengers as efficiently as possible,” NAD said.

The airport operator said some outbound flights could be delayed because of the evacuation and urged passengers to contact their airlines directly for the latest flight information.