One person was arrested following reports of a possible bomb threat on a Hawaiian Airlines flight set to take off from San Diego International Airport, leading to the evacuation of the plane, officials said.
The Airbus A330 bound for Honolulu had just pushed back from the gate around 8:45 a.m. Tuesday when “a flight attendant informed the flight’s captain that a passenger reported a possible bomb onboard,” according to a statement from Port of San Diego Harbor police.
The captain called police and SWAT officers, and the FBI responded to search the aircraft. Nothing suspicious was found, and there was no threat to travelers, the police statement said.
A 35-year-old man was arrested on charges of making a false bomb threat and false report of a security threat, according to a news release from the Port of San Diego. The man allegedly told a flight attendant that the passenger next to him had a bomb.
Hawaiian Airlines said in a statement that “a guest was overheard making a threat to the safety of our aircraft” and the captain alerted authorities as a precaution.
All 293 people aboard Hawaiian Airlines Flight 15 were evacuated and transported by bus to a safe area.
The plane was cleared by law enforcement, and the passengers were able to reboard.
It departed for Honolulu around 2:15 p.m., the airline later said.
