A social media post that apparently referred to a bomb on board last night’s Hawaiian Airlines flight from Honolulu had local authoritaties on alert when the aircraft landed at Pago Pago International Airport.
Commissioner of Public Safety Taaga Saite Moliga said the post originated from California. The FBI and TSA in Honolulu determined that the post was not credible, and the flight arrived on time and without incident.
According to the Commissioner, two passengers with the same last name mentioned in the social media post, who were on the incoming flight, were the first to be removed from the aircraft and they were taken to the police substation in Tafuna for questioning. It was established that the two passengers had no knowledge of or connection to the post, and they were cleared to go home.
Director of Port Administration Barney Sene said Hawaiian Airlines reported a bomb threat while HA Flight 465 was one and a half hours out of Honolulu enroute to Pago Pago. Hawaiian Airlines and Honolulu TSA were already working the issue, and the flight continued to Pago Pago, he reported.
Sene said Port Administration was notified less than an hour later and began to coordinate with the Commissioner and DPS, local TSA, and local Hawaiian Airlines staff to discuss whether the airport should be evacuated upon the flight’s arrival. The Department of Homeland Security was also involved.
He said after new information was received from Hawaiian Airlines headquarters within the hour that the threat was not high, it was decided to keep the airport open but maintain a high caution alert.
Hawaiian Airlines did not reply to questions.
