Late Sunday evening, a passenger from American Airlines flight 5458 reached out to 1819 News to report an incident unfolding at the Birmingham Airport.
Passengers headed to Washington, D.C. were removed from the plane and kept at the airport for hours following a threatening note found in the plane's lavatory during boarding.
“During boarding, a passenger on flight AA5458 from BHM to DC reported a possible security issue that required further investigation,” Kim Hunt, the vice president of Communications for the Birmingham Airport Authority, told 1819 News in a statement.
Video shared with 1819 News shows two law enforcement officers from the Birmingham Police Department walking down the center aisle as the pilot tells passengers to leave their bags on the plane.
“We’re going to keep all the bags here and let the security team do their work. I’ll give you an update here at the gate here at the gate in the next 10-15 minutes or so,” the pilot says.
The passengers were kept at the airport for hours with little to no updates. Photos provided to 1819 News show TSA agents swabbing passengers’ hands.
“Airport operations worked with TSA, FAA, and Birmingham Police to take the appropriate action. Out of an abundance of caution, the passengers were asked to deplane and the aircraft was swept and eventually cleared,” Hunt said. “In these situations, the safety of passengers, crew, and all who are at the airport is paramount. Decisions are made to assure that safety.”
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