Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport evacuated after bomb threat

AVOCA, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A bomb scare caused a lot of tense moments at the Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport on Saturday.

28/22 News spoke with an airport official and a passenger who had to rebook his flight because of what officials are calling a bomb threat

Saturday morning around 11:23, the Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport received a bomb threat causing people to evacuate.

“The only information we are available to release at this time is the Joseph McDade Terminal building as well as several other buildings were evacuated of all passengers and personnel,” said Eric Mckitish the Director of Marketing, Communications, & Air Service Development.

Officials are still unsure if there was a specific area of the airport the threat was targeting.

“At this time, there are no details on the specific nature of the bomb threat from where the threat may have originated,” says Mckitish.

The TSA has some help in trying to get to the bottom of the bomb threat.

“Federal and local law-enforcement, as well as the Transportation Security Administration, are involved in the investigation,” added Mckitish.

Only one flight was delayed because of the scare.

“There was only one departing flight affected because of the incident and that was an American Airlines flight to Charlotte, North Carolina,” stated Mckitish.

One passenger 28/22 News spoke with was supposed to fly to Louisiana when the bomb threat was made.

He says he was about to get on the plane when the announcement came to evacuate.

“I was getting ready to board in fact we were in pre-boarding stage and the announcement came over, and everybody evacuated,” noted Skip Bellus from Flordia.

How this situation makes him feel.

“It aggravates me that people have to do this in our world you know why, it doesn’t make sense,” continued Bellus.

He says this is the first time he’s experienced something like this.

“Yeah, I’ve been traveling I’m 65 and been traveling since I’m 18 so no it’s never happened,” says Bellus.

Saturday’s bomb threat comes one day after police in Georgia arrested a juvenile for making threats on social media Thursday to schools in Lackawanna County.

The airport bomb threat is an ongoing investigation.

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