Flights resume at Springfield, Missouri, airport

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) - Investigators have determined that a suspicious package found inside luggage that prompted a shutdown at a southwest Missouri airport did not contain an explosive device.

Transportation Security Administration screeners at Springfield Branson National Airport in Springfield detected the item at 9:30 a.m. Friday and stopped all incoming and outgoing flights. The city's bomb squad removed the item and operations resumed around noon.

Airport manager Brian Weiler says three airplanes with passengers aboard waited on a taxiway while the device was removed from the airport.

The Springfield Fire Department issued a statement Friday afternoon saying law enforcement agencies acted out of caution to ensure the safety of the airport's passengers.

The airport has nonstop flights to 10 U.S. cities and serves 750,000 passengers each year.