'Security-related situation' grounds flight to vacation hot spot, passengers confined for hours
JetBlue passengers on a flight from Boston to Aruba were stuck on a plane for hours Monday while authorities investigated a "security-related situation."
When the flight landed at Queen Beatrix International Airport on Feb. 9, the pilot was directed to park in an alternate location. The reason cited was a "security-related situation," JetBlue told Boston station WCVB News Center 5.
Frustrated passengers were kept onboard for nearly two hours after landing, the station said.
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One traveler told the outlet that law enforcement officers boarded the aircraft and checked passports individually. Then they were allowed to exit row by row. A K9 unit was also brought in to inspect luggage.
"The flight was met by law enforcement who conducted additional screenings and customers have since disembarked," the airline said.
"The safety of our customers and crew members is JetBlue’s first priority, and further inquiries should be directed to law enforcement."
During the incident, airport operations were temporarily suspended. In notices shared on social media, Queen Beatrix International Airport said access to the terminal was restricted while authorities assessed the situation.
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"Due to a security-related situation, airport operations are temporarily paused. The situation is being managed by the appropriate authorities, and safety remains our top priority," the airport said in a Facebook post.
About an hour later, the airport issued an update stating that operations would remain suspended for another 90 minutes or so.
Travelers inside the terminal were instructed to remain there — while those who had not yet entered were asked to wait outside until passenger processing resumed.
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On social media, some passengers reported disruptions to connecting travel plans as a result of the delay, including missed or rerouted flights.
"We sat in the airport for three extra hours and many people missed connecting flights," one user on Facebook said.
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"Messed up my whole day," a Reddit user commented.
Later in the day, Aruba Airport Authority N.V. confirmed in a press release that airport operations had fully resumed.
Fox News Digital reached out to JetBlue for further comment.