Passengers on an American Airlines flight from Dallas to Baltimore earlier this week were left trapped in their aircraft on the tarmac for hours after landing due to a bomb threat. The security concern was reportedly discovered mid-flight, prompting local law enforcement officials to respond and investigate.
The ordeal also left some passengers waiting up to 12 hours to receive their checked luggage. While the flight crew did not immediately communicate what was causing the lengthy ground delay, one passenger reportedly said an excuse was made, citing traffic at the airport.
“Out in the boondocks somewhere”
The flight involved – AA2251 – landed at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) earlier than scheduled on Wednesday, according to Baltimore local NBC affiliate WBAL. Data from FlightAware confirms that the flight was operated by an Airbus A321 and departed from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) at 19:39 CDT, about six minutes early. It was scheduled to arrive in Baltimore at 23:39 EDT, but landed around 23:12.
The aircraft touched down on Runway 10, and rather than turning left toward the terminal, it turned right and proceeded down the taxiway before briefly taxiing on Runway 15R/33L. It then traveled down another taxiway before coming to a holding area, according to Flightradar24.
Photo: Flightradar24.com
One passenger described the situation to WBAL, saying that passengers were unaware of what was going on.
“They taxied a long distance off, and then parked, way out in the boondocks somewhere. And we were told, uh, nothing.”
Confirming the threat
Maryland Transportation Authority Police reportedly received a bomb threat via email while the aircraft was enroute to BWI. As a result, the police, the fire department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and K-9 units were dispatched to the airport to search the aircraft upon arrival.
Read More
Man Arrested After Hoax Bomb Threat At Delhi Airport
The threat is in a series of bomb threats the busiest airport in India has seen over the last year.
In a statement obtained by WBAL, the FBI confirmed the incident.
“The FBI, along with our law enforcement partners, investigated a threat to an airplane which landed at BWI-Marshall Wednesday night. An assessment is always conducted following receipt of a threat. The investigation determined no known credible threat to the aircraft or passengers.”
Upset passengers
It took officials more than two hours to complete their assessment, as the aircraft did not pull into gate C5 until around 01:15, according to FlightAware. However, as the search ensued, passengers began to become frustrated.
“The excuse was something about traffic on the tarmac, but after two hours, we were starting to get a little upset, wouldn’t you say,” passenger Jeff Moak told WBAL.
Another passenger, Baba Ade, explained “Nobody knew what was going on for so long.”
Once the passengers could deplane, they were met with another hurdle: they could either wait in the airport for another three hours for their checked bag to be screened, or come back to the airport the following day at 13:00 to retrieve their luggage.
Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock
One passenger who returned to the airport on Thursday said that despite the inconvenience, it was the “right thing” to do.
“I think they did the right thing, although I was very frustrated at it,” they said.
American reportedly said in a statement that safety is its top priority and thanked the affected passengers for being patient.
Read Next
American Airlines Begins Cockpit Display Retrofits On Over 170 Airbus A320 Family Aircraft
The carrier expects the conversions will be performed over “the next few years.”
