An incident at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) on Tuesday afternoon grounded some flights and delayed arrivals, according to passengers.
In a statement, Vancouver airport officials said, “Shortly before 1:30 p.m. this afternoon, a security incident involving a small private aircraft in the airspace near YVR prompted a temporary ground stop for arriving aircraft. RCMP responded, the aircraft landed safely, and the lone occupant was taken into custody.
“During the 39-minute ground stop for arrivals, nine inbound aircraft were diverted to alternate airports. Airlines, YVR, and our partners are working to support getting those passengers to their destinations.”
One passenger shared video of the incident, showing police cars and officers approaching a small aircraft on one of the runways.
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“Operations seem back to normal,” the passenger shared on X.
“But the small plane was chased on the runway by the police cars. When it stopped, the pilot came out walking backwards and was holding on the ground by the police. The plane is still in the taxi way surrounded by police cars.”
The Vancouver airport website shows a number of delays for arrivals and departures.
According to the statement from YVR, however, normal flight operations have resumed.
“Flights are now operating normally in and out of YVR,” the statement read, “however some flight delays are possible and passengers should check directly with their airline or at yvr.ca before coming to the airport.”
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