Miami-Dade police

All Clear After Terminal Evacuated at Miami International Airport

The all clear was given at Miami International Airport Monday after Terminal H was evacuated due to a suspicious item, airport and police officials said.

Airport officials said police responded to a suspicious item inside the concourse around 4:30 p.m. Monday. The G, H and J TSA checkpoints were closed and the ticket counter areas and upper and lower roadways outside of Concourse H were evacuated, officials said.

The all clear was given a short time later, around 5 p.m.

Police said some abandoned luggage sparked the incident. Airport officials said the baggage appeared to be moving and that's when TSA decided to shut down the area.

"They thought it might have been moving, but again, it was checked out, there were protocols and that called for bomb squad to take a look at it," said Emilio Gonzalez, Director of the Miami Dade Aviation Dept.

"I was heading to the restroom and they were screaming to get out of the airport and everyone was running and screaming, very scared," passenger Fiorella Villar said.

After the all-clear was given, the concourses reopened, but not without delays. The checkpoint line in Concourse H stretched so far back, it was more than an hour wait to go through security.

"There's tons of police here. The fact that there is a long line shows they're being effective and thoroughly checking to make sure everyone is safe and can board safely," said Kathleen Gallagher, passenger.

No other information was immediately known.

Contact Us