An American Airlines flight was delayed after officials believed a bomb threat was made onboard the aircraft through a WiFi hotspot name.
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According to ABC News, American Airlines Flight 2863 was scheduled to depart from Austin, Texas, at 1:42 p.m. and arrive in Charlotte, North Carolina. However, things took a turn when a passenger pointed out the disturbing WiFi hotspot name to a flight attendant.
One passenger, Bruce Steen, 63, stated he was seated toward the front of the American Airlines flight when he saw the flight attendant call the cockpit. Not long after, the pilot announced the flight needed to return to the gate due to an “administrative issue.” The crew reported the incident to the Austin Police Department and the Department of Aviation.
Steen revealed that after a few minutes, the pilot came back on and announced that “somebody renamed their hotspot.” The crew stated the hotspot was called: “There is a bomb on the flight.”
A lieutenant from Austin PD then came onboard and stressed to passengers that the renaming was not funny. “If this is a joke, please raise your hand now,” the lieutenant asked the passengers. “Because we can deal with the practical joke differently than if this if we have to do a full-blown investigation of what’s going on here.”
Steen pointed out that no one raised their hands. The Austin PD then escorted everyone off the plane in groups. He also said that at one point, every passenger had to show their hotspot to police officers.
TSA Responds to the American Airlines Bomb Threat Incident
Following the incident, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) shared in a statement to ABC News that the agency and its partners in the transportation sector “take bomb threats very seriously.”
“All passengers and their checked baggage were rescreened,” the TSA confirmed.
Steen told the media outlet that a dog sniffed all the luggage. Law enforcement also checked the baggage compartment on the plane. Once the aircraft and luggage were swept for explosives, the aircraft was cleared by the Austin PD.
The American Airlines flight departed around 6:15 p.m. without further incident. Austin Airport stated there were no significant impacts to airport or airline operations.