United Airlines flight to Los Angeles diverted to Chicago due to bomb threat

A United Airlines flight destined for Los Angeles had to be diverted to Chicago, Illinois, on Wednesday morning due to a bomb threat, according to local media, which cited a preliminary police report.

The company did not provide further details of the diversion, only stating that Flight 1533 landed safely at Chicago O’Hare Airport due to a “security issue.” He also did not comment on the condition of the passengers and crew.

Television images showed how the plane left the terminal and stopped in a secluded area, surrounded by black vehicles, a fact that caused shock and uncertainty among some passengers.

One of them, in statements cited by the Associated Press, said that the crew had informed them of the change of destination about two hours after takeoff, but they did not give any explanation. At that point, they were asked to remain seated and fasten their seat belts.

For his part, another passenger reported that, once on the ground, they were informed that the cause of the diversion was a bomb threat that someone had written on a mirror in the plane’s bathroom. This led to the order to vacate the plane without taking anything and wait on a bus. He added that he watched law enforcement take carry-on luggage off the plane and inspect it with dogs and metal detectors.

Meanwhile, the Chicago Police Department confirmed that it received the flight and that it “cleared the scene,” but did not provide further details about the incident and referred questions to the FBI, which is the agency in charge of this investigation.

An FBI spokesperson stated that the bureau and its law enforcement partners had responded to an incident involving an airplane at O’Hare Airport; however, he did not provide any further information. He clarified that there was no indication that there was an imminent threat to public safety or the facilities themselves at the time he gave the statements.

United Airlines later reported that the flight resumed its planned trip to Los Angeles later Wednesday afternoon without any major issues.

The recent incident occurred a day after another United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Boston was diverted to Denver, Colorado, due to wing failure, something a passenger noticed and recorded the disturbing situation. It went viral on social networks.

Kevin Clarke, a customer of the flight, told Boston 25 News that the flight took off as scheduled, but shortly afterward the pilot announced that the plane would be forced to divert to Denver due to a technical issue. At that point, Clarke opened the window and saw that the slat on the right wing of the Boeing 757-200 plane was “falling apart” with visible chunks missing.

With information from the Associated Press

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