SEATTLE – A flight from Seattle (SEA) to Redmond, Oregon (RDM) was delayed Wednesday after a passenger made a concerning comment to an Alaska Airlines flight attendant during boarding.
The comment, which prompted a full security sweep and removal of two guests from the aircraft, caused a lengthy delay for passengers on board the flight.
Keep reading to learn more about the incident at Sea-Tac Airport.
What happened at Seattle’s airport today?
What we know
The incident involved Alaska Airlines Flight 2030, operated by Horizon Air, which was scheduled to fly from Seattle (SEA) to Redmond (RDM).
According to a statement from Alaska Airlines, during the boarding process, a passenger made an “inappropriate comment” to a flight attendant regarding the safety of the aircraft.
Out of “an abundance of caution,” the airline said all passengers were asked to deplane.
Port of Seattle security met the passenger at the gate, removed him and his traveling companion and performed a full security sweep of the plane.
No dangerous items were found, and the aircraft was cleared to fly. The flight eventually departed after a delay of 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Alaska Air Group announced plans to grow its regional fleet with an order of eight new additional E175 jets and options for 13 more. The E175 aircraft will fly exclusively for Alaska Airlines under a Capacity Purchase Agreement (CPA) with Horizon Air.
(Ingrid Barrentine/Alaska Airlines)
How many passengers and crew were on the affected flight?
There were 69 passengers and 4 crew members on board when the plane finally took off. Alaska Airlines thanked its guests for their patience and praised the professionalism of the flight crew during the unexpected disruption.
This incident is a reminder of the heightened security protocols in place at airports and how even a comment can ground a flight temporarily.
What we don’t know
No further information about the passenger or possible charges were released as of Wednesday afternoon.
The Source
Information in this story came from a spokesperson for Sea-Tac International Airport.
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