A United Airlines flight traveling from Dallas to Chicago made an emergency landing in St. Louis on Sunday morning after a passenger allegedly threatened that a bomb was in his wife’s luggage, prompting a security scare that halted the flight mid-route and triggered a law enforcement response on the ground.
United flight 380, which departed Dallas at 6:57 a.m., diverted to Lambert St. Louis International Airport shortly before 8:40 a.m. after crew members alerted authorities to the reported threat. A male passenger was taken into custody after telling others there was a bomb inside his wife’s bag, according to sources who spoke with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Airport director Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge said the aircraft was met by emergency personnel before passengers were evacuated onto the concourse as the bomb and arson unit began inspecting the jet.
More than two hours after landing, investigators were still searching the aircraft, Hamm-Niebruegge said, while confirming there were no reported injuries among passengers or crew. United said in a statement that the aircraft landed “to address a potential security concern” and that law enforcement had searched and cleared the plane. The airline added that the flight was expected to continue on to Chicago later in the afternoon once authorities completed their work.
The incident occurred less than two weeks after a separate bomb threat on a United flight traveling from Houston to Washington, D.C., on Nov. 4, which resulted in a temporary ground stop at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Virginia. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy later confirmed that the aircraft landed safely and that the Federal Aviation Administration ultimately issued an all clear.
The latest scare comes as U.S. travelers continue to face widespread delays following a prolonged government shutdown that concluded last week after more than 40 days. Thousands of flights were canceled nationwide after the FAA ordered a 10 percent reduction in air traffic when unpaid air traffic controllers began missing shifts, forcing the agency to restrict operations to prevent safety risks. The shortage of controllers has persisted for years, and multiple presidential administrations have asked retirement-age controllers to remain on duty to maintain staffing levels.
