United Airlines Flight 3613 from Newark, New Jersey, to Burlington International Airport in Vermont was grounded for hours on Sunday afternoon following the discovery of a bomb threat found on a note in the plane’s bathroom during the flight.
The flight crew informed air traffic control of “a threat to the aircraft” about 20 minutes before landing. The pilot related that a threatening note was found in a lavatory, stating that there was a bomb on board.
Emergency response protocol was initiated by air traffic control, and law enforcement assessed the situation after the plane landed and was directed to an isolated portion of the airport.
The Vermont State Police activated their bomb squad to help local authorities. Ultimately, law enforcement found nothing unusual or suspicious.
The 65 passengers were briefed on the situation and deplaned around 7 p.m., with no injuries reported. The airport, which had been closed during the incident, was reopened for all air traffic at 7:30 p.m.
Several agencies, including the FBI and the Federal Aviation Administration, responded to the incident. Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad confirmed that the threat was under investigation but did not disclose any details.
