Fighter jets scrambled following bomb threat to passenger planes on Twitter
Two passenger aircraft were escorted to their destination in Atlanta after the threats were posted on Twitter
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Fighter jets were scrambled to escort two passenger planes to an airport in Atlanta, Georgia after bomb threats were made on Twitter on Saturday.
The passenger planes were en-route to Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta when the threats were made and two F-16 fighter jets were ordered to escort them to the airport, where they landed safely.
Special Agent Britt Johnson said: “When the threat came in through Twitter, something was suspicious enough about it to make that determination that caused someone to elevate it to the point that it caused the scramble of the fighter jets and the notifications that occurred,” ABC News reported.
The threats came from a Twitter account which had no followers and has now been suspended.
FBI officials interviewed passengers before they were allowed to leave the airport and bomb disposal experts searched the plane and passengers’ luggage, but found nothing unusual according to officials.
One runway was temporarily closed, causing disruption for other travellers, as flights were delayed.
The jets were sent from McEntire Joint National Guard Base in South Carolina at 1pm local time and escorted the passenger aircraft until they landed, they then returned to their base.
The flights were Delta Airways 1156 from Portland and Southwest Airlines 2492 from Milwaukee.
In a statement Southwest Airlines said: “Due a security situation, the aircraft operating Flight 2492 was taken to a remote area of the airport where customers and the aircraft are being rescreened.
“Our number one priority is the safety of our customers and people. We cannot comment on the nature of the security situation."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments