An Alaska Airlines flight from Atlanta to Seattle was diverted to Spokane on Wednesday after a passenger made a “direct threat” to the plane’s security, prompting a temporary shutdown of the airport Washington state, officials said.
Spokane International Airport was closed for more than an hour after an Alaska Airlines plane made an emergency landing “following a security incident on board the aircraft,” a airport spokesperson.
One person was arrested after the incident, the spokesman said.
The Alaska Airlines flight landed around 5:15 p.m. local time and the passengers and flight crew were safely disembarked, the spokesman said.
The airport shut down aviation operations during the incident, but they resumed again around 6:45 p.m., they said.
In a statement shared with Spokane-based NBC News affiliate KHQ, Alaska Airlines said a male passenger aboard Flight 334 had “directly threatened the safety of our aircraft to one of our flight attendants.”
“In accordance with security procedures, local and federal law enforcement were immediately notified and met the aircraft upon arrival,” the airline said. He said the FBI was involved in the response. Alaska Airlines, the FBI, the Spokane Police Department and the Federal Aviation Administration did not immediately respond to requests for comment overnight.
A total of 177 passengers and six crew members were on the flight and Alaska Airlines said it was working to get them to their original destination of Seattle as soon as possible.
Todd Miyazawa contributed.
