A woman angry about not being allowed to board a plane at Sky Harbor International Airport on Friday was arrested after allegedly mentioning an explosive device. This resulted in hundreds of travellers having to evacuate part of one concourse. A police bomb squad responded but found no device and the airport soon returned to normal though three flights were delayed.
Police said 53-year-old Hope L. Webber was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor false emergency reporting and felony making a false terrorism report.
Webber’s statements to airline personnel during the incident “related to an explosive device,” Sgt. Mercedes Fortune, a police spokeswoman, told The Associated Press.
Webber’s hometown wasn’t available, Fortune said Saturday.
American Airlines said in an email that employees had called police to deal with a disruptive female passenger trying to board a flight to Salt Lake City shortly before it was supposed to take off.
Parts of Terminal 4 were briefly evacuated.
Jon Connor, a filmmaker, said he was walking to his plane when “all of the sudden hordes of people” started walking in his direction.
Passengers posted pictures of crowded hallways on social media.