The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Saturday afternoon because of a security threat on a plane bound for Walla Walla.
Around 1 p.m., flights scheduled to arrive at Sea-Tac were circling or being diverted to other airports, according to data from the flight-tracking company Flightradar24. The Port of Seattle said in a news release that the passenger made a “flippant remark” about a bomb to the flight crew while Alaska Airlines Flight 2123, operated by Horizon Air, was taxiing.
The Port of Seattle reported shortly after 1:30 p.m. that a person on an airplane was taken into custody.
No suspicious items were found in the plane or among baggage items.
Crew members followed procedures to secure the plane, which was headed to Walla Walla, on a runway away from the airport, according to the statement. Law enforcement arrived and all 68 passengers and four crew members were safely deplaned, according to Alaska Airlines. The passengers were rebooked.
Due to the incident, six other flights out of Sea-Tac were canceled and two were diverted. About 400 flights at the airport were delayed, according to Flightradar24.
“We are working to get all guests to their destinations safely and as quickly as possible,” the Port’s statement said.
An Alaska Airlines plane was isolated on the 16R runway as Port of Seattle police investigated the issue. A bomb-sniffing dog checked every passenger as they lined up single-file outside the plane. Passengers were then loaded onto buses to be returned to the terminal.
The FBI and Port police were reviewing the incident and will work with prosecutors to determine whether charges are appropriate, a news release said. The aircraft was cleared and returned to the terminal, and the closed runway reopened shortly after 3 p.m.
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