Passengers on some flights were held in their planes and people coming to pick up holidaymakers were told to stay in their cars.
The bomb squad assessed the device, found in a security hall, and told the Manchester Evening News that it 'just had some extra wiring within it, which made it look suspicious but was innocent'.
Officers were called for shortly before 5.45pm today when staff at the airport raised 'concerns about an item passing through security'.
They examined the suspicious item and requested the bomb squad with a cordon set up.
A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said that a small controlled explosion was carried out, which "revealed the innocent wiring".
The device was deemed non-suspicious and it has been revealed to have been a laptop.
A spokesman for Manchester Airport said: "We can confirm an area of terminal two was partially evacuated this evening following concerns about an item passing through security.
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