Duesseldorf airport reopens after bomb threats

DUESSELDORF, Germany - Germany's third busiest airport, Duesseldorf, reopened on Sunday (Monday NZT) after bomb threats forced an evacuation, disrupting traffic on one of the most hectic days of the year at the end of school holidays.

The airport and a number of airlines received seven telephone warnings late on Saturday and early Sunday, prompting the airport to suspend flights and evacuate buildings from 11.35am (9.35pm Sunday NZT), airport and airline officials said.

Duesseldorf, one of Germany's busiest charter flight hubs, only reopened after more than six hours after delays and diversions of 150 flights affecting around 15,000 passengers.

"It will take the next few hours to get things back in full working order," an airport spokesman said after the final buildings were reopened at 6.10pm (4.10am Monday NZT) .

Around 180 police, some with sniffer dogs, searched the airport complex for explosives, but found nothing suspicious.

Duesseldorf, the main airport serving Germany's densely populated Ruhr Valley, expected to handle around 64,000 passengers on Sunday, the last day of summer holidays for the region's schools.

Incoming flights were diverted, 34 of them to nearby Cologne-Bonn airport.

However, the closure had at least not taken place during the peak morning and evening periods, a spokesman said.

Germany's main carrier Lufthansa declined to say whether it was one of the airlines that had received a warning.

Duesseldorf handled about 15 million passengers in 2002.

- RUETERS