When we got off the plane, we were told we could NOT go down the escalators to the baggage claim area. No reason was given and we were told we could use a side elevator. When we went down to the elevator, we were told we couldn't go into the baggage claim area...again...no explanation. We were sent outside (in shorts and short- sleeved shirts) for over two hours! Greg had walked to get the van and was stuck waiting outside of airport grounds while we waited outside. We saw the bomb squad and figured it was some fictitious threat. The real story was dumber than we even imagined.

Here's what REALLY happened...

Sunport Evacuated for Over 2 Hours
By Lloyd Jojola Journal Staff Writer

    The Albuquerque International Sunport was evacuated for about two hours Saturday after a suspicious package was found in the terminal.
    The suspicious device turned out to be a camp stove burner.
    "Shortly after 11 o'clock (Saturday) morning, one of our National Guard personnel discovered a suspicious package in the lower level baggage claim area," said airport spokeswoman Jonnie Banks.
    The downstairs area was evacuated, followed by the rest of the terminal, she said. The Albuquerque Police Department bomb squad was summoned to deal with the item, officials said.
    Aviation Department Police Chief Marshall Katz said the device turned out to be a "self-contained, single-burner device used for camping."
    Katz said airport officials suspect someone put it in the trash bin after they realized at the last minute that they could not take it on an airplane.
    He did not believe the item was placed there intentionally.
    The evacuation lasted about two hours and 15 minutes, airport officials said.
    They did not immediately know how many flights were affected.
    Flights were still coming in and out of the airport, but passengers landing were not allowed to disembark, Banks said.
    Automobile traffic was kept 300 feet from the airport, Katz said.
    Most people seemed to take the incident in stride, Katz said.
    "People in today's society I think are very structured," he said. "They are very understanding. Very few object to their own safety."

Below is a picture of the bomb sniffing dog. The only thing I saw him sniffing was garbage. You can click on the picture for a larger version.