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