False threat forced evacuation of Quebec City’s Jean-Lesage Airport

In this file photo, the arrivals area inside the Jean-Lesage International Airport in Quebec City is seen on Thursday, November 16, 2017. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot)

Access to Quebec City’s Jean-Lesage International Airport was restricted for several hours overnight from Sunday to Monday to allow for an investigation into the possible presence of a suspicious object.

Emergency services at 911 say they received a threatening call at 10:10 p.m. on Sunday regarding the airport.

As a precautionary measure, the terminal was evacuated, and the airport grounds were closed to traffic.

Quebec City police (SPVQ) officers quickly arrived on the scene to secure the area and investigate an object “that could be suspicious.”

A K9 handler, investigators and bomb disposal experts from the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) were also called in.

The SPVQ has since confirmed that the threats were unfounded.

“The investigation is ongoing to identify the source of the call as well as the person or persons responsible for it,” said Pierre-Olivier Lévesque, a spokesperson with the SPVQ.

Shortly before 3 a.m., airport management confirmed a “return to normal” on social media, stating that the terminal and airport grounds were once again accessible.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on March 16, 2026.