Alaska Airlines flight to Seattle from Miami delayed after passenger threats trigger lockdown

An Alaska Airlines flight traveling to Seattle from Miami was delayed Sunday evening after there were alleged “threats” made by passengers aboard the plane.

According to CNN, which obtained traffic control audio from the Miami International Airport — where the plane was taking off from — a pilot was heard telling controllers about a disturbance aboard while taxiing.

“We have set the parking brake, and we have a customer disturbance on board right now, with threats coming from customers,” a pilot was heard saying, according to CNN. “We want to go into a lockdown protocol. We are shutting down our engine, and the parking brake is set.”

But the Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office found there was “no credible threat” aboard the Alaska Airlines flight 305 from Miami to Seattle. Passengers were still required to exit the plane during the investigation, delaying the flight.

Two passengers were removed from the plane and were later rebooked on another flight.

“On Aug. 9, two guests onboard Alaska Airlines Flight 305 from Miami (MIA) to Seattle (SEA) were disruptive during the aircraft’s taxi,” a spokesperson with Alaska Airlines told KIRO Newsradio and KIRO 7. “The aircraft returned to the gate where it was met by law enforcement, and the passengers were removed and temporarily banned from flying with us. The flight then continued its journey to Seattle.

“The safety of our guests and crew is always our highest priority,” the statement continued. “We appreciate our employees’ professionalism and apologize to our guests for the delay and inconvenience.”

The flight, initially scheduled to depart at 6:29 p.m. Sunday, finally departed at approximately 8:45 p.m.

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