Frontier flight from US emergency as 'explosive device' found onboard

A Frontiers flight issued an emergency call following the report of a suspected explosive device onboard. Officials activated security protocols at Luiz Munoz Marin Airport in Puerto Rico, the destination of the flight, which had earlier taken off from Orlando airport in Florida.

The plane was carrying 223 passengers and seven crew members and was scheduled to arrive at 1.30pm local time. The president of Aerostar, Jorge Hernández, said airport authorities were taking the threat seriously, although they had not been able to confirm whether the package contained a bomb.

"The existence of any device has not yet been confirmed," he said in a statement

"However, we are strictly complying with established security protocols to protect passengers, our employees, and all airport users."

He said passengers would be taken from the plane to a secure area of the airport, while security officials check the aircraft , baggage and personal belongings.

"This procedure may take an as yet an undetermined period of time, so we ask for the understanding of family members and members of the airport community," he said.

The Aerostar president advised the public against travelling to the airport until further notice.

"We appreciate everyone's cooperation and understanding while this process is completed," he added.

"The safety and well-being of our passengers and employees will always be our highest priority."

This is not the first time the airline has been involved in a security scare, having previously been targeted by bomb threats.

In November 2023, a Frontier flight arriving at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was met by police and firefighters on the taxiway after a person on board reported receiving a bomb threat on their phone.

An official for Frontier Airlines told that someone on the Airbus A320-251N notified the flight attendant they had received an anonymous AirDrop message claiming an explosive device was onboard.

The flight crew radioed the reported threat to the tower, which dispatched emergency crews for the arriving flight.

A Frontier Airlines plane caught fire at Harry Reid International Airport in October last year, leading to panic onboard.

One passenger told : "Honestly, I thought that we are going to explode because we saw the fire and we didn't know why."