A pair of bomb threats within 24 hours — one targeting a United Airlines flight and another at New York’s LaGuardia Airport — has renewed concerns about aviation safety.
United Airlines Flight 512 departed George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston on Tuesday morning and landed safely around 10:30 a.m. at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Shortly after landing, officials reported a bomb threat against the aircraft. A caller allegedly threatened that the United flight would explode unless Reagan National Airport air traffic controllers pay $500K in crypto.
Emergency crews quickly surrounded the plane as staircase trucks arrived to assist passengers in deplaning. Travelers were taken by bus to the terminal while law enforcement conducted a full search of the jet. No explosives or suspicious items were found, and federal authorities later cleared the aircraft.
“The FAA is aware of a reported security issue on an aircraft at Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA),” the agency said in a statement. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority police, FBI Washington Field Office, and “multiple [other] law enforcement partners” are investigating the alleged threat, according to the airport.
Air traffic control recordings captured the tense moment the crew was alerted: “We have an unconfirmed bomb report for your flight, and we’ve got to get you away from the airport.”
Passenger Solange Rivera recalled the confusion on board: “We thought there was a bomb in the airport. Then they told us our airplane was the threat — that’s why there were police all around us.”
Just hours earlier, a Delta flight at LaGuardia had also been evacuated following a separate bomb threat — marking two airline security scares in a single day.
Meanwhile, back in Houston, long TSA PreCheck lines formed around 7 a.m. at Bush Airport, with staffing shortages tied to the ongoing government shutdown contributing to nationwide flight delays.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the delays are part of efforts to maintain safety during the shutdown but warned the situation could deteriorate further. “You will see mass chaos — mass flight delays, cancellations, and possibly closures of parts of the airspace — because we simply don’t have enough air traffic controllers,” Duffy cautioned.