RCMP arrested a man Thursday afternoon after he climbed over a fence and gained access to the airfield at the Edmonton International Airport.
Police said the man climbed the fence on the southwest side of the airfield at around 1:20 p.m.
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Airport spokesperson Heather Hamilton said there were security cameras on the fence.
Hamilton said RCMP at the airport were alerted and had assistance from the canine unit. She estimates it took approximately an hour before police were able to track down the suspect.
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“It’s a huge property at the airport. The total property is 7,000 acres,” she said when asked about the time it took RCMP to find the man.
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Hamilton said the runway closest to the site was closed for approximately an hour as a precaution and that approximately 10 to 20 flights were moved to other runways as a result of the breach and search.
When asked whether the airport will beef up security, Hamilton said there will be a follow-up and a review of the incident.
However, she said this is a rare event and could not recall a similar incident happening within the last three years.
“It’s not unusual to find somebody who is at or near the fence. Someone who is actually breaching is an extremely unusual occurrence,” she said.
There is no word on the man’s age, his hometown, why he climbed over the fence or whether charges are pending.
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