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LOS ANGELES – Officials temporarily evacuated five terminals at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday, after a man bypassed security checkpoints by slipping under ropes. 

Airport officials closed Terminal 5 at 12:40 p.m., then expanded the evacuation to include four more terminals, causing more than 150 delays and affecting 8,000 travelers, according to Tom Winfrey, spokesman for Los Angeles World Airports. 

Police used bomb sniffing dogs to check the terminals before reopening them around 3:30 p.m. All passengers heading through those terminals were re-screened. 

Authorities did not immediately find the individual who skipped security, said Chris Rhatigan, spokeswoman for the federal Transportation Security Administration. Airport police said the man was traveling with a woman who did pass through security. 

During the evacuation, fifteen Delta Airline flights had their departures delayed. Continental, American, United and several international airlines’ flights also were delayed. 

“Flights headed to Los Angeles from the eastern United States were allowed to continue on their way, as well as those from international departure points. But flights that were leaving to come to Los Angeles from West Coast points were delayed,” Winfrey said. 

The evacuation was the latest in a series of alerts and brief evacuations at the airport since Sept. 11. Security has been tightened following a fatal shooting at Israel’s El Al ticket counter July 4. 

On Friday, Los Angeles Jim Hahn unveiled a $15 million security upgrade to the airport’s perimeter fence.