Dublin Airport was evacuated on Saturday after a security alert in Terminal 2.

Footage shared on social media showed passengers standing outside after the alarm was raised at around 11.30am.

Terminal 2 was evacuated as a ‘precautionary measure’,a Dublin Airport spokesperson told Metro. The building has since been reopened.

‘Dublin Airport confirms Terminal 2 has received the all-clear. Passengers will shortly re-enter & flights are expected to resume within 30 mins,’ the airport said in a statement on X.

Travellers described ‘absolute mayhem’ as people were told to leave.

One witness on the ground told Metro: ‘Just got off a US flight and we were walked to Terminal 1,currently standing in a long hallway. No one is telling us anything.’

People queue to enter Terminal 2 after it was evacuated (Picture: Reuters)

Dublin Airport issued a statement,saying its absolute priority is the safety and security of passengers and staff.

It added: ‘Flight operations may be temporarily impacted,and we advise passengers to check with their airline for the latest updates.’

Videos shared on X show an army bomb disposal team on the tarmac.

Dublin Airport is a popular transit hub for travellers flying to the US.

Hundreds of passengers flooded the grass around the airport (Picture: X / Shauns_Aviation)

It is one of just 15 in the world that offer US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Preclearance,which allows travellers to clear US immigration – and the headache that comes with it – before they board.

Earlier reports by local media said a passenger had been arrested. However,An Garda Síochána – the Irish police – have denied this.

In a statement this afternoon,gardaí said: ‘Earlier this afternoon,Saturday 20th September 2025,An Garda Síochána responded to a report of an item of airline luggage of concern at Dublin Airport.

‘As a precaution,Terminal 2,Dublin Airport was evacuated and traffic entering Dublin Airport was restricted.

‘An Garda Síochána requested the assistance of the Defence Forces’ Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team.

‘Following a preliminary examination on scene,the piece of luggage was contained and deemed safe for removal from T2 to an alternate location which would not impact on airport operations.

‘Dublin Airport,and associated access routes reopened for normal operations.

Traffic snarled outside Terminal 2 during the evacuation (Picture: X / Shauns_Aviation)

‘The piece of luggage was subject to further examination by the Army EOD team and has been declared safe.

‘An Garda Síochána is continuing our enquiries at this time.

‘Based on the information available to An Garda Síochána and other relevant stakeholders,this was an appropriate and responsible approach to the situation which was presented.’

The incident comes hours after a cyber attack crippled several major European airports,causing widespread delays and cancellations.

So far London’s Heathrow Airport,the busiest on the continent,Berlin Airport and Brussels Airport – a major international transit hub – have been affected.

Hours earlier,a massive air traffic outage brought travel to a standstill across the US,with Dallas-Fort Worth International (DFW) shut down for hours on Friday.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that a system failure at the Dallas TRACON facility triggered ‘one in,one out’ procedures at key hubs and spilled over into at least 20 additional major US airspaces. 

Our Travel team has more details on this global developing story here.