Recent false alarm scares in US airports have exposed the lack of training and preparation for large evacuations of people in public areas, travel experts told NBC News.
It has happened three times at major airports this summer, the latest at Los Angeles International on Sunday, when rumors of gunfire sent thousands of people fleeing from terminals and onto airfields and roads, forcing authorities to stop flights and send all travelers back through security checkpoints.
Similar panics unfolded at New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport: a mistaken report of shots fired on Aug. 14 and a false bomb scare on June 29.
Anthony Roman, who runs a security consulting firm in New York said having people in an active tarmac, an environment they're absolutely unfamiliar with, and allow them to go on open roadways while traffic is still moving, is obscene.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs and polices JFK, did not return messages seeking comment on Monday. Neither did the Los Angeles Airport Police Division.
