Thousands of travellers had to evacuate parts of Miami International Airport on Sunday evening after authorities received reports of a suspicious unattended bag in the South Terminal. Later, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office issued the all-clear. TSA checkpoints for concourses G, H and J, along with nearby areas, were reopened after the security check was completed.

“The@MiamiDade_SO has given the all clear and the TSA checkpoints for concourses G, H, and J and the surrounding areas are being reopened,” Miami International Airport wrote in a post shared on X (formerly Twitter).

The alert led to a large security operation and caused major disruption during a busy travel period. The situation reportedly began around 6 pm local time when deputies were informed about an unattended piece of luggage in the departures area near Door 21. As a safety measure, passengers and airport staff in nearby areas were immediately asked to leave, affecting several flights and travel plans.

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Bomb squad deployed, TSA checkpoints closed

The incident began after an unattended bag was spotted near a departures-area door. As a precaution, law enforcement ordered an evacuation and sent Bomb Squad teams to examine the item. 

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Several TSA checkpoints were shut while the investigation was underway, according to a statement issued by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.

Miami Airport issues travel advisory on X 

In a update shared by Miami International Airport on X, officials said: “The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office is investigating a suspicious item in MIA’s South Terminal area. The TSA checkpoints for concourses G, H, and J and the surrounding areas have been evacuated and are currently closed. Passengers driving to MIA this evening should give themselves additional time.”

Several flights were delayed as security teams followed standard procedures, though authorities did not immediately say how long the checkpoints would stay closed.

Earlier bomb scare adds to traveller concerns

This evacuation came just days after another security scare at the same airport, which had already raised concerns among travellers. Earlier in the week, a routine boarding process turned serious after a passenger made a comment about a bomb while preparing to board an American Airlines flight to Houston.

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That incident happened at gate D60-E, when airline staff told the passenger his carry-on bag would need to be checked because of limited overhead space. During the conversation, the passenger allegedly made a sarcastic remark suggesting a bomb would not fit inside the bag.

The comment led to emergency procedures, including evacuations and a full security sweep by law enforcement and explosive detection dogs. No explosives were found.