An Alaska Airlines flight traveling from Atlanta to Seattle on Wednesday was diverted to Spokane due to a passenger making a “direct threat” to the safety of the plane. This incident prompted a temporary shutdown of Spokane International Airport in the state of Washington.
According to an airport spokesperson, the emergency landing and subsequent closure of the airport occurred following a security incident onboard the Alaska Airlines plane. Following the incident, one individual was taken into custody.
The flight, designated as Flight 334, landed safely at around 5:15 p.m. local time, and all passengers and crew were safely disembarked from the aircraft. Aviation operations at the airport were temporarily halted during the incident but resumed at approximately 6:45 p.m.
In a statement to the media, Alaska Airlines reported that a male passenger had directly threatened the safety of the aircraft to one of their flight attendants. They stated that in accordance with security procedures, local and federal law enforcement were notified and met the aircraft upon arrival. The FBI was involved in the response.
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The flight accommodated a total of 177 passengers and had six crew members onboard. Alaska Airlines affirmed that they are actively collaborating with the authorities to address the situation appropriately.
