Know your Enemy on Domestic Terrorism. Bomb threat disrupts Colorado Springs Airport for over two hours
8/13/07

It was a tense and frustrating afternoon for many people at the Colorado Springs Airport, after a bomb threat was phoned in about 1:40pm. Director of Aviation Mark Earle told KZNT that officials determined there could be an "imminent danger" and the decision was made to completely evacuate the terminal building.
Flight operations were virtually halted as planes were not allowed to take off. Incoming flights that did land were kept quite a distance from the terminal. Those passengers stayed on the planes.

Earle said several hundred people were effected. Bomb-sniffing dogs were used to sweep the building, and after nothing was found, the terminal was re-opened about 4pm.

Some passengers were understanding, believing it's better to be safe than sorry. Others weren't too happy. Carl Melhman told KZNT he was headed to New York and was 12 minutes from takeoff when the evacuation order came. He said generally the situation was "handled pretty well," but felt there was a "severe lack of communication."

Sandy Randles was trying to get back to Ohio after a wedding. She told KZNT she wasn't scared, but angry at the person who made the threat.

Brian Duffek of Colorado Springs ended up driving to Albuquerque instead of flying there. He said there was no sense getting upset about the evacuation because it was better to be safe.

Once all of the passengers were allowed back into the buidling, the lines at ticket counters and security checkpoints instantly grew quite long.