A United Airlines flight traveling from New Jersey to Los Angeles underwent an unexpected turn of events on Wednesday morning, requiring an emergency landing in Chicago. Reports from both passengers and local media sources indicated that the diversion was prompted by a bomb threat.
The aircraft in question, United 1533, was a Boeing 787 that took off from Newark International Airport shortly after 6:00 a.m. local time. Among the passengers onboard was Rashad Robinson, who later shared details of the incident via social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. According to Robinson, the bomb threat was reportedly discovered in one of the lavatories onboard the aircraft.
Robinson’s post conveyed the tense atmosphere as he described the situation: “Someone allegedly went into the bathroom and made a bomb threat on the bathroom window and now we’ve made an emergency landing in Chicago.”
As a precautionary measure, the flight was rerouted to Chicago O’Hare Airport, where it safely landed at approximately 7:44 a.m. local time. Upon arrival, passengers were swiftly evacuated from the aircraft.
Subsequent actions taken by authorities included the deployment of a bomb-sniffing K-9 unit to investigate a suspicious bag believed to be linked to the threat. Additionally, a robotic device was utilized to safely relocate the bag. Reports indicated that law enforcement officials were in the process of questioning the passenger who had checked the aforementioned bag. However, details regarding the contents of the bag or any discoveries made were not immediately disclosed.
In response to inquiries, United Airlines provided only minimal information regarding the incident. Their statement confirmed the diversion of Flight 1533 to Chicago due to a “potential security concern.” The airline assured that the flight had landed safely and that local law enforcement was present to meet the aircraft upon arrival. Passengers were subsequently deplaned, with plans for the flight to resume its journey to Los Angeles later in the afternoon.