Fake bomb alert disrupts New York airport

The central terminal at New York’s LaGuardia Airport was evacuated today after a man entered the building with a fake bomb in a bag, police said.

The scare was over in a few hours, but it disrupted travel plans for thousands of people.

Flights were postponed and vehicle traffic to the airport was halted. Delays then rippled across the country as airlines adjusted their schedules.

Authorities identified the suspect as Scott McGann, 32, of New York. He had a ticket on a United Airlines flight that was headed to Chicago, with connecting flights that would have ultimately taken him to Oakland.

McGann checked in for a flight shortly after 5am and immediately began attracting attention because of his bizarre behaviour.

Police received two phone calls about an apparently intoxicated or suspicious passenger before the man had even reached a security checkpoint, said John Kelly, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport.

Security officials said he was “just acting crazy,” Mr Kelly said.

McGann was detained when he did not respond to questions. A search of his bag revealed an assemblage of batteries and wires that police thought was intended to look like a bomb.

The terminal was evacuated at 5.30am, although investigators quickly determined that the device was not dangerous.

LaGuardia handles about 70 flights per hour. About half a dozen internal United flights were delayed because of the incident. Delta and AirTran Airways flights were also affected.