Passengers on a Delta Airlines flight were forced to evacuate Tuesday night after crew members reported a bomb threat just moments before takeoff from New York’s LaGuardia Airport.
Port Authority police said the Minneapolis-bound aircraft was preparing to depart Terminal C around 8 p.m. when the threat was identified. The plane was immediately moved away from the gate, and all passengers were ordered to disembark.
A passenger told TMZ that the pilot announced a delay but emphasized there was no immediate danger. Witnesses also reported seeing one person escorted from their seat before the full evacuation.
Emergency crews surrounded the aircraft as authorities carried out an extensive search. After nearly two hours, no explosive device was discovered, and the plane was cleared around 10 p.m.
Jason Matheson, host of Fox’s The Jason Show, was among those onboard and shared updates from the tarmac on Instagram. He said passengers were only informed of a “security issue” and were not initially told it involved a bomb threat. Travelers were later rebooked onto a 7 a.m. flight the next day.
Delta Airlines confirmed the incident, stating: “The safety and security of our customers and employees comes before all else, and we apologize for the delay in their travels.”
This was the second bomb threat reported at a major U.S. airport that day. Earlier, another plane was searched at Reagan Washington National Airport in Virginia. In both incidents, authorities declared all clear.
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