American Airlines flight deplanes on taxiway in NY due to ‘passenger behavior’

An American Airlines flight underwent an emergency evacuation on an airport taxiway Saturday in New York “in response to passenger behavior near the end of the flight,” according to Republic Airways.

The American Airlines flight was operated by Republic Airways. 

A spokesman for the company said that the aircraft landed at LaGuardia Airport in Queens, a borough of New York City, and conducted an “emergency evacuation.” 

“One of our aircraft, operating as American 4817, declared an emergency and landed at New York’s LaGuardia Airport without incident in response to passenger behavior near the end of the flight,” Jon Austin, a spokesman for Republic Airways, said in a statement.

“Upon exiting the active runway, the aircraft stopped on a taxiway and conducted a precautionary emergency evacuation,” he added.

Austin noted that the passenger was taken into custody as first responders and law enforcement met the aircraft after it deplaned. He noted that there were four crew members and 78 passengers on the flight.

CNN reported that, according to the airline, the flight was coming from Indianapolis.

A senior law enforcement official who was aware of the details of the incident told NBC New York that crew members on the flight confronted the passenger, who was reportedly acting unruly during the flight and may have had a device on him. An emergency was signaled via radio by the pilot so officials would be prepared to act immediately upon landing.

Authorities claimed that no serious threat appeared to be found toward the flight crew, passengers or the plane and that the aircraft had since been swept, according to NBC New York.

The Hill has reached out to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for comment.