ST. LOUIS, MO (WCMH) — Bomb-sniffing dogs checked an American Airlines plane that was diverted to Lambert Airport in St. Louis from John Glenn International Airport in Columbus.
American Airlines issued a statement just after 11:30am saying the incident was deemed non-credible by law enforcement.
According to a representative with John Glenn International Airport, American Airlines flight 534 made the unscheduled landing in St. Louis after the pilot called in a “security issue.” Rebecca Wu with the FBI’s office in Saint Louis said agents were responding to the scene to investigate “some kind of threat.”
Aerial video then showed crews unloading all luggage from the plane and placing the items on the tarmac. Bomb-sniffing dogs then checked the bags before they were transported to the terminal.
Jeff Lea, a spokesperson for Lambert-St. Louis Airport, says all 113 passengers and 5 crew members were evacuated from the Airbus A319 and transported to a secure location. Lea and the airline provided no information on what prompted the search.
The flight took off from Columbus at 7:48am and was bound for Phoenix. It made the emergency landing in St. Louis at 9:14am Eastern.
After authorities finished their security sweep and found no credible threat, the aircraft was allowed to return to the terminal. American Airlines says it plans to re-board its passengers and continue to the flight Phoenix shortly.
It released the following statement:
“Out of an abundance of caution, STL authorities are conducting a security check of the aircraft. We hope to have our passengers on their way soon.”
The airline says it provided food and drinks to the passengers while the security sweep was underway.
Stay with WFLA News Channel 8 for updates.