American Airlines Flight Delayed After Passenger Names Wi-Fi Hotspot: ‘There Is A Bomb On The Flight’
An American Airlines flight was evacuated and delayed for nearly five hours in Texas after a passenger created a Wi-Fi hotspot with the alarming name, “There is a bomb on the flight.”
Flight 286, which was scheduled to depart from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport to Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday, was forced to return to the gate after a concerned passenger reported the suspicious Wi-Fi name to a flight attendant, according to ABC News.
Initially, the pilot cited an “administrative issue” as the reason for the delay. However, he later informed passengers that someone had changed their hotspot name to a bomb threat, passenger Bruce Steen, 63, told the outlet.
Authorities then asked the person responsible to come forward, saying, “If this is a joke, please raise your hand now, because we can handle a prank differently than a full-blown investigation.” However, when no one admitted to it, all passengers were escorted off the plane.
Police conducted individual checks, asking each passenger to show their device’s hotspot name. They were also held in a designated area and re-screened by security. Meanwhile, the aircraft’s baggage was removed and inspected by bomb-sniffing dogs.
After completing all security procedures, the flight finally departed at 6:15 p.m., over four-and-a-half hours behind schedule.
A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) spokesperson emphasized that bomb threats are taken “very seriously” and confirmed that all passengers and their luggage were re-screened.
Despite the incident, no other significant disruptions occurred at the Austin airport, the report added.
