American Airlines flight returns to gate over passenger hotspot name mentioning ‘bomb’

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A departing American Airlines flight suddenly returned to the gate last week after crews were alerted to suspicious activity onboard involving a passenger’s Wi-Fi hotspot name that contained the word “bomb,” the Austin Police Department (APD) told Fox News Digital.

The security issue occurred last Friday on American Airlines Flight 2863 scheduled to fly from Austin, Texas, to Charlotte, North Carolina.

According to a Reddit user who said they were on the plane, the hotspot was named “I have a bomb,” or something similar. The Reddit user said the police claimed the issue was caused by a passenger playing a prank.

An American Airlines flight was delayed last Friday over fears of a potential bomb threat. (AP)

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Austin police told Fox News Digital that following the alert, the plane returned to the gate, where police conducted a sweep of the plane and baggage, looking for explosives.

“All passengers were deplaned and re-screened by the Transportation Security Administration prior to being allowed to board again,” a police spokesperson said.

Passengers wait to pass through security at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas. Travelers on Flight 2863 had to be rescreened following security issues. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

“We and our partners take bomb threats very seriously,” the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

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American Airlines planes are seen at an airport gate. (Getty Images)

The flight was eventually cleared and departed around 6:15 p.m. 

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“Safety and security are our top priorities, and we thank our customers for their understanding and our team members for their professionalism,” American Airlines said to Fox News Digital in a statement. 

The incident did not cause major impacts on other airline and airport operations, according to the police.

Bonny Chu is a Digital Production Assistant at Fox News Digital.