A Southwest Airlines flight arriving from Phoenix was flown to a remote area of Baltimore / Washington’s Thurgood Marshall International Airport on Monday after the crew discovered a “suspicious message”, authorities said. Airport spokesman Jonathan King said Southwest flight 2104 arrived around 5:15 pm before being taken to a remote location.
According to a Southwest statement, the 95 passengers and six crew members on board the Boeing 737-800 were taken to the bus terminal. The aircraft has a capacity of 175.
CBS affiliate WUSA-TV reports a strong police presence with lights flashing around the plane after it landed on BWI.
WUSA-TV
The airport statement did not say what the note contained or where it was found on the plane. A Southwest spokeswoman said the authorities released the aircraft and passengers were allowed to remove their luggage.
Passengers on other flights told CBS Baltimore that the news was disturbing.
“I don’t know what people are thinking to do something like that … I’m happy that nothing more serious has happened,” said traveler Bob Hicks, who was flying to BWI from Denver.
“(It is) definitely very scary, shocking, surprising,” said another traveler, Kieran Yeatman.