JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Two people were arrested after a flight from Orlando was diverted Tuesday because of an alleged bomb threat that passengers said they overheard being made during an argument between the two.
Breeze Airways Flight 717 lifted off from Orlando to make its way to Providence, Rhode Island, when it had to make an emergency stop at Jacksonville International Airport. Passengers told News4JAX that a couple got into an argument right before the flight took off.
One passenger said a man told the woman he was arguing with that he wanted to get off the plane. The flight was in the air for 45 minutes, according to passengers, when the captain decided to divert the plane to Jacksonville around 5:30 p.m. because the word “bomb” was mentioned during the argument between the two people.
“The people were talking about or claiming the other person had a bomb during their fight. The people around them heard the word ‘bomb,’ reported it to the airline, and they’re obligated to land the plane,” Rachael Corrigan said.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations responded to the incident to ensure the safety of the crew and passengers.
“A dad and his daughter got up and walked back and said, ‘We asked to get moved because someone was talking about a bomb that they had,’” Tanya McGinn said.
Video footage shared by a passenger showed the man apologizing to the other passengers as he was being placed in handcuffs.
By 8 p.m., the flight was canceled and passengers were allowed to leave the terminal and told their flight would not resume until tomorrow afternoon.
All the passengers who got off the plane were told they would be reimbursed if they got a hotel room. As for the people who were arrested, they will likely face federal criminal charges and could be banned from flying on Breeze Airways.