Gisborne airport reopens after bomb threat

Gisborn airport has reopened after a bomb threat forced it to close, leaving dozens of tourists stranded on the road in the hot New Year’s sun.

A police spokeswoman confirmed that the sniffer dogs had completed a sweep at the airport and found nothing, returning control to airport authorities around 4 p.m.

Investigations into who was behind the threat were ongoing, he said.

Traveler Zhane Skipper said Stuff By Friday afternoon she was now waiting for a delayed flight back to Auckland at the airport, after spending much of the afternoon sitting with other passengers stranded at the edge of the police cordon.

“Standing in the scorching sun, people were starting to get a little angry, so it’s good to go back inside,” he said.

She was returning from the Rhythm and Vines festival when the announcement came over the loudspeaker this morning that there was a security threat and that everyone had to evacuate.

The delayed passengers remain calm and listen to reggae music while camping in the street after the Gisborne airport was evacuated following a bomb threat.

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Everyone had been out on the streets when the police started to arrive, and since then everyone had been hanging out outside, listening to reggae music from the neighbors.

“It’s still a festival… it’s very Kiwian.

His flight was supposed to leave at 1 pm, but it had been delayed twice, and now it was due to depart at 3.30.

Passenger Rosemarie Boulton was due to fly to Christchurch today, via Wellington.

He said there were 70 to 80 people on the side of the road, but there was plenty of space, shade, and one of the houses had installed a speaker to play music.

He was still hoping to make his connecting flight into Wellington, which won’t leave until tonight.