According to a law enforcement official, a bomb threat against an American Airlines flight that diverted the plane from the tarmac of a Texas airport on Friday was not deemed credible.
An FBI official confirmed that the passengers on the flight from El Paso, Texas, to Chicago at noon on Friday were not in danger.
“While an assessment is always conducted following receipt of a threat, there is no known credible threat to the aircraft or passengers at this time,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Downey.
Following the receipt of the threat, officials at El Paso International Airport and the FBI’s El Paso office implemented precautionary safety measures, as per Downey.
The flight eventually departed late in the afternoon for Chicago O’Hare International Airport, and FlightAware, the tracking website, indicated that the flight arrived safely. Another flight with the same identification number was preparing to return to El Paso on Saturday.
“Safety and security are our top priorities, and we thank our customers for their understanding and cooperation and our team members for their professionalism,” American Airlines said in a statement.
