An American Airlines flight was delayed last week after the crew alerted authorities about suspicious activity on the plane “regarding the name of a WiFi hotspot involving the word ‘bomb.'”
American Airlines Flight 2863 was scheduled to travel from Austin, Texas, to Charlotte, North Carolina, with a planned departure time of 1:42 p.m.
An American Airlines Airbus A321-253NX takes off from Los Angeles International Airport on Jan. 24, 2025, in Los Angeles, California.
Aaronp/bauer-griffin/GC Images
Bruce Steen, 63 years old, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was one of the passengers aboard the flight amid the incident at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
Steen told ABC News that he was traveling home from a meeting in Austin on Feb. 7 when the incident occurred.
He said that he was seated toward the front of the plane and saw a young man walking up to a flight attendant with a tablet to show her something. The flight attendant immediately called the cockpit, Sheen said, and soon the pilot announced that the flight would be returning to the gate due to an “administrative issue.”
In the meantime, the crew had reported the incident to the Austin Police Department and the Department of Aviation.
Steen said that after a few minutes, the pilot came back on and announced that “somebody renamed their hotspot ‘there is a bomb on the flight.'”
A lieutenant from Austin PD then came onboard and told passengers the renaming was not funny, Sheen told ABC News, recalling that the official said: “If this is a joke, please raise your hand now, because we can deal with the practical joke differently than if this, if we have to do a full blown investigation of what’s going on here.”
Steen said no one raised their hands — and everyone was escorted off the plane in groups by the Austin PD.
At one point, every passenger had to show their hotspot to police officers, Sheen said.
The Transportation Security Administration said in a statement to ABC News that the agency and its partners in the transportation sector “take bomb threats very seriously.”
“All passengers and their checked baggage were rescreened,” the TSA confirmed.
Dogs sniffed all the luggage and the police checked the baggage compartment on the plane, Sheen told ABC News.
After the aircraft and luggage were swept for explosives, the aircraft was cleared by the Austin PD.
The flight departed around 6:15 p.m. local time, according to airport officials.
Austin Airport said there were no significant impacts to airport or airline operations, other than the delayed flight that was involved in the incident.
The Austin Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
ABC News’ Gabrielle Vinick contributed to this report.