One phone call on Monday night led to two Delta Air Lines flights being deplaned and checked for explosives at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport.
A caller phoned in a bomb threat saying an explosive device was onboard Delta Flight 468 from San Francisco to JFK. When it landed, the plane was directed to a remote runway, passengers were removed and bussed to a terminal to be interviewed, and the plane was searched. Nothing was found.
As a precaution, however, Delta smartly delayed the takeoff of another flight bearing the same flight number, this one from JFK to Tel Aviv, Israel. Nothing was found on that aircraft, either.
"Earlier this evening, another airline received a threat regarding Delta flight 468. Delta currently operates two aircraft under that specific flight number -- San Francisco to New York-JFK which is currently on the ground at New York-JFK and New York-JFK to Tel Aviv, currently in the boarding process. Proper security procedures are being followed for both aircraft. Delta has passed this information along to federal authorities," Delta said in a statement Monday night.
This is at least the fourth bomb threat phoned in to an airline or airport in the U.S in the last three months.
• In November, someone called the Jackson-Evers Airport in Jackson, Miss., saying there was a bomb on an incoming American Airlines flight. The threat proved to be unfounded.
• In mid-November, someone called in a phone threat to Frontier Airlines. Flight 913 to Tampa was delayed about two hours and passengers were asked deplane after an unknown threat was called in to the airline. All passengers had to go through a second security scan, and bomb-sniffing dogs were brought on the plane. Nothing was found.
• In late November, an American Airlines flight arriving at JFK was briefly taken to a remote area of the airport after a bomb threat was phoned in to authorities. Nothing was found.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
