Two Delta Air Lines airplanes at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, one arriving from San Francisco and one about to depart for Tel Aviv, were evacuated because of a bomb threat.
An anonymous caller on Jan. 19 said a pipe bomb had been placed aboard Delta’s flight 468, according to reports. The airline has two flights with the same number.
One of the flights, a Boeing 757, arrived at JFK from San Francisco at 8 p.m. After the 171 passengers disembarked, the plane was searched. No explosives were found. The bomb threat was received while the plane was still in the air.
The second flight, a Boeing 777, was waiting to depart for Israel from JFK at 9:23 p.m. The 215 passengers already on board the aircraft were evacuated and waited on buses on the tarmac while security officials searched the plane. The luggage also was removed and rescreened. No explosives were found.
“Proper security procedures are being followed for both aircraft,” Delta said in a statement. “Delta has passed this information on to federal authorities.” — jta