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American Airlines flight delayed over Wi-Fi network name with the word ‘bomb’

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  • A flight was delayed after a suspicious Wi-Fi name containing the word “bomb” was discovered. All passengers were escorted off the plane to be rescreened.
  • The flight took off several hours later after officials determined there was no actual threat.
  • The TSA said it takes bomb threats “very seriously.”

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Imagine being on a flight, only for it to end up getting delayed for hours over a Wi-Fi network name. That’s what happened last week to passengers getting ready for takeoff, when someone on the plane named their Wi-Fi hotspot, “There is a bomb on this flight.”

The incident occurred on Friday, Feb. 7, on an American Airlines flight, scheduled to leave from Austin, Texas, to Charlotte, North Carolina.

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What led to the flight being delayed?

The pilot returned the plane to the gate after a concerned passenger showed the flight attendant the name on their phone.

The pilot initially said the delay was due to an “administrative issue,” but he eventually came out to tell the passengers what was really going on, and asked the person who did it to come forward.

When no one did, all passengers were escorted off the plane and asked to show police the name of their hotspot.

The Transportation Security Administration rescreened everyone and checked their bags for explosives. Once cleared, the flight finally took off more than four-and-a-half hours late.

There’s no word on whether officials found the person who did it or if anyone was taken into custody.

When has this happened in the past?

This isn’t the first time something like this has happened on a flight.

On the 9/11 anniversary in 2014, a passenger was detained at Seattle-Tacoma Airport after naming their Wi-Fi hotspot “Southwest – bomb on board,” changing it to “the bomb is on this seat.”

A TSA spokesperson told ABC News in a statement regarding the latest incident that the agency takes bomb threats very seriously.

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[Karah Rucker]

IMAGINE BEING ON A FLIGHT … ONLY FOR IT TO END UP GETTING DELAYED FOR HOURS OVER A WIFI NETWORK NAME.

THAT’S WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK TO PASSENGERS GETTING READY FOR TAKEOFF … WHEN SOMEONE ON THE PLANE NAMED THEIR WIFI HOTSPOT – “THERE IS A BOMB ON THIS FLIGHT.”

IT HAPPENED FRIDAY ON AN AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT SCHEDULED TO LEAVE FROM AUSTIN TO CHARLOTTE.

THE PILOT RETURNED THE PLANE TO THE GATE AFTER A CONCERNED PASSENGER SHOWED THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT THE NAME ON THEIR PHONE.

THE PILOT INITIALLY SAID THE DELAY WAS DUE TO AN “ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUE”, BUT EVENTUALLY CAME OUT TO TELL THE PASSENGERS WHAT WAS REALLY GOING ON AND ASKED THE PERSON WHO DID IT TO COME FORWARD.

WHEN NO ONE DID, ALL PASSENGERS WERE ESCORTED OFF THE PLANE AND ASKED TO SHOW POLICE THE NAME OF THEIR HOTSPOT.

THE T-S-A RESCREENED EVERYONE AND CHECKED THEIR BAGS FOR EXPLOSIVES. 

ONCE CLEARED, THE FLIGHT FINALLY TOOK OFF MORE THAN FOUR-AND-A-HALF-HOURS LATE.

THERE’S NO WORD ON WHETHER OFFICIALS FOUND THE PERSON WHO DID IT OR WHETHER ANY ONE WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY.

THIS ISN’T THE FIRST TIME SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAS HAPPENED ON A FLIGHT … 

ON THE NINE-ELEVEN ANNIVERSARY IN 20-14 … A PASSENGER WAS DETAINED AT SEATTLE-TACOMA AIRPORT … AFTER NAMING THEIR WIFI HOTSPOT “SOUTHWEST – BOMB ON BOARD” CHANGING IT TO “THE BOMB IS ON THIS SEAT.” 

A T-S-A SPOKESPERSON TOLD A-B-C NEWS IN A STATEMENT REGARDING THE LATEST INCIDENT … THAT THEY TAKE BOMB THREATS VERY SERIOUSLY. 

FOR SAN I’M KARAH RUCKER. 

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