A Spirit Airlines flight that was delayed for hours after a report of a possible bomb threat has finally landed in North Texas.
A passenger alerted flight attendants after noticing a message on another passenger's cellphone before the flight took off Sunday night. It was scheduled to depart Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport at 8:15 p.m. Sunday but was delayed for hours while authorities investigated.
“Flight attendants confiscated his phone and we stopped the plane right there on the tarmac,” said Jay Fragoso, a passenger on the flight. “Then we were at a standstill for about two hours while we waited for the fire marshals and authorities to come do what they do best.”
Deputies in Florida escorted a man off the plane, which was checked by investigators and cleared.
“At times, it was very stressful,” said Fragoso. “It’s one of those things you don’t ever want to hear when you’re on a plane at any time. It was handled correctly by the airline and by the authorities, so we’re just thankful that we’re here and we landed safely.”
Authorities say the plane eventually took off around 2:30 a.m. Monday and landed safely at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport just after 4 a.m.
No further details were immediately available.
