Suspicious item halts flights at Missouri airport

Air traffic has been stopped at a southwestern Missouri airport after security officials found something suspicious in a suitcase.

FBI spokesman Bob Stewart says it’s very early in the investigation, but he says the owner of the suspicious object has been identified. He didn’t elaborate.

The Springfield News-Leader reports that authorities on the scene include police and a fire department bomb squad.

Flights in and out of the Springfield-Branson National Airport were put on hold at about 9:30 a.m. The airport has nonstop flights to 10 U.S. cities and serves 750,000 passengers each year.

Calls to the Transportation Security Administration, local police and airport officials weren’t immediately returned.

This story was originally published November 21, 2014 at 11:47 AM with the headline "Suspicious item halts flights at Missouri airport."