A Delta Air Lines flight from Boston to Newark, New Jersey, had to return to Massachusetts on Sunday so that a passenger could be removed from the plane, but officials now say the call that led to the situation was a hoax and that the passenger never posed a threat.
Republic Airways, operated by Delta, confirmed flight DL5770 returned to Boston to facilitate the removal of a passenger.
The airline said they were bringing in a new crew as quickly as possible to get passengers on their way to their destination. A spokesperson apologized to those affected by the delay and for the disruption in their travel plans.
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State police later said the flight returned to Logan Airport after an anonymous third party caller reported to a New Jersey police agency that a passenger aboard the plane had allegedly made threats related to the safety of the flight. On Monday they confirmed that the man who was removed cooperated with investigators and posed no threat either to the flight or public safety.
Massachusetts Port Authority and state police were waiting when the plane landed, and troopers escorted the man off the aircraft.
The passenger's two carry-on bags were searched by the state police bomb squad and explosive ordinance detection dogs. He had no checked luggage. State police said no hazards were located.
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Once the passenger was removed and his bags were cleared, the airplane departed again for Newark.
An investigation into hoax call is ongoing by another agency that state police did not name.
