Bottle wrapped in duct tape spurred airport evacuation

UPDATE: The bomb squad responded to The Eastern Iowa Airport after a suspicious item was reported in the terminal Thursday morning.

Airport spokeswoman Pam Hinman said around 11 a.m. a passenger found a plastic bottle wrapped in duct tape in a trash can, and reported it as suspicious. The trash can was located near the middle of the terminal.

Authorities evacuated the lobby and the bomb squad responded to the scene. A robot removed the item, and police determined it was not a threat.

An officer blocked traffic into the airport property until an all-clear was given at 12:10 p.m.

During the situation, Hinman said people inside the terminal were asked to move to the east end, near the baggage claim. She said they seemed calm.

“There's a procedure, and you have to follow that,” Hinman said. “From what I could see, everyone followed it very well.”

Hinman said passengers on an Allegiant Air flight that landed during the situation were delayed in getting their luggage, but she was not aware of any other significant delays for travelers.