Passenger who missed JetBlue flight calls in bomb threat that launches precautions at LAX

Thursday, May 4, 2023
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- An angry passenger who missed his flight from Las Vegas to Los Angeles phoned in a bomb threat Thursday, triggering a security alert at LAX, authorities said.

The JetBlue flight that landed at Los Angeles International Airport around 2 p.m. was held on the tarmac for more than an hour before passengers were allowed to deplane via a truck-mounted staircase.

Airport police officials told ABC News the precautions were launched when a passenger missed his flight in Las Vegas while his bag was onboard the plane without him. The angry man then phoned in a bomb threat.

Firefighters and police gathered on the tarmac at LAX Terminal 4 as the JetBlue aircraft was isolated in a spot away from the gate.

By around 3:20 p.m., passengers were allowed to exit via a roll-up staircase and were brought onto a shuttle bus. An additional security sweep of the vacant plane was expected.

There was no preliminary indication of any actual explosive device.

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