FORT LAUDERDALE-HOLLYWOOD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FLA. (WSVN) - A flight headed to the Dominican Republic from New Jersey was diverted to Fort Lauderdale after, officials said, a passenger found a written bomb threat on board the plane.
JetBlue Flight 893 had taken off from Newark Liberty International Airport, Saturday afternoon, and was heading to Santiago, Dominican Republic when, officials said, a passenger discovered the note with the bomb threat.
Airline officials said the flight was diverted to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport “out of an abundance of caution.”
“Better safe than sorry,” said onlooker Theresa Lehman, who is from Fort Myers. “I’d rather them do something to prevent it than get on the plane and find out there was a bomb and it go off,” she said.
According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, the plane landed just after 4:15 p.m.
7News video shows the travelers forced to get off the aircraft and wait as crews searched the plane for any possible device. Fire crews and police were standing by the entire time.
Inside Terminal 3 at FLL, traveler Chelsea Zitnay from Washington, D.C. said the bomb threat put her on edge. “I’d be terrified. I fly a lot, for fun, not for work or anything,” she said. “I’m actually a nervous flyer. I don’t like doing it. It’s a means to an end to go places, have fun and see friends. That would make me freaked out and stop flying for a while.”
Just after 7:15 p.m., BSO officials said the plane had been cleared and no device was found.
After hours of waiting, workers loaded luggage back on board after it was screened a second time. The plane then took off for its final destination.
No arrests have been reported.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.