American Airlines flight diverted from tarmac due to bomb threat determined to be not credible: FBI
American Airlines Flight 2051 departed El Paso, Texas, and arrived safely in Chicago Friday evening after five-hour delay caused by bomb threat
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An American Airlines flight was diverted off the tarmac Friday in El Paso, Texas, before take-off due to a bomb threat, but law enforcement nows says the threat was not credible.
An FBI official told local station KVIA-TV that passengers on American Airlines Flight 2051 were not in danger following receipt of a bomb threat.
"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 on Friday.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAL | AMERICAN AIRLINES GROUP INC. | 14.11 | +0.09 | +0.64% |
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American Airlines aircraft. An American Airlines flight was pulled off the tarmac at El Paso International Airport on Friday, Feb. 17, 2022, after officials received a bomb threat later determined to be not credible. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File / AP Newsroom)
The seal of the Federal Bureau of Investigation hangs on the outside of the bureau's Edgar J. Hoover Building in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images / Getty Images)
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Officials at El Paso International Airport and the FBI office in El Paso to several precautionary measures after the threat was received, Downey said.
The flight eventually departed en route to Chicago O'Hare International airport at 5:01 p.m. MST Friday, KVIA reported.
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Air Force One, carrying US President Joe Biden, arrives at El Paso International Airport in El Paso, Texas, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023. (Paul Ratje/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
American Airlines Flight 2051 arrived safely, albeit five hours late, in Chicago at 8:56 p.m. CST Friday, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware.
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A flight with the same tracking number is scheduled to depart O'Hare International at 9:30 a.m. CST Saturday.
"Prior to departure, American Airlines flight 2051 with service from El Paso, Texas (ELP) to Chicago (ORD) returned to the gate and was met by law enforcement due to a possible security issue," American Airlines told Fox Business in a statement. "Safety and security are our top priorities and we thank our customers for their understanding and cooperation and our team members for their professionalism."