Bomb threat delays Hawaiian Airlines flight to Honolulu
A Hawaiian Airlines flight from San Diego bound for Honolulu this morning was stopped shortly before takeoff after a passenger allegedly threatened to bomb the aircraft.
“There was a security incident this morning involving Hawaiian Airlines Flight 15 from San Diego to Honolulu. During pushback from the gate, a guest was overheard making a threat to the safety of our aircraft,” read a statement to the Star-Advertiser from the air carrier.
“As a precaution, the captain immediately taxied the Airbus A330 to a safe location on the airfield, where it was met with local and federal law enforcement and guests were safely deplaned.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the incident that occurred as the flight was preparing for an 8:28 a.m. departure.
“Agents responded to the San Diego airport after receiving reports of a threat. We determined there is no current threat to public safety, however, this is an ongoing matter, and we have no further details to provide,” read a statement to the Star-Advertiser from the FBI’s San Diego Field Office. “We continue to urge the public to remain vigilant and report all suspicious activity to law enforcement immediately.”
There were 283 passengers and 10 crew members on board at the time of the incident.
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“We appreciate their understanding during this situation and apologize for any concern this may have caused. We are working to get all guests to Honolulu as quickly as possible. We are grateful for the professionalism and care of our flight attendants and pilots throughout this event,” read the statement.
NBC News 7 San Diego reported that at about 11 a.m., “dozens of emergency vehicles on the tarmac near the plane,” including patrol cars and unmarked black SUVs.
“The A330 was cleared by law enforcement and guests were re-boarded. HA15 departed San Diego for Honolulu at approximately 2:15 p.m. local time — roughly five hours after the scheduled departure time,” read a statement from Hawaiian Airlines.
The flight arrived in Honolulu at 4:54 p.m. Its scheduled arrival time had been 11:45 a.m.
