Flight from Shannon lands in Philadelphia after ‘threat’

A flight from Ireland to the United States has landed amid fears of a bomb threat.

The USAirways Flight 777 from Shannon Airport, which had 177 passengers on board, was met by emergency services as it touched down at Philadelphia International Airport following an "unspecified threat".

Passengers and crew were rushed off the Boeing 757 aircraft to a secure area before the threat was declared “unfounded”.

A spokeswoman for the airport said the scheduled flight and its passengers were later cleared.

“All is clear and the bomb threat appears to be unfounded,” she added.

Law enforcement officials met the plane at an isolated area of the tarmac and passengers exited the jet to waiting buses because of the unspecified threat.

FBI spokeswoman Carrie Adamowski said agents assisted Transportation Security Administration officials in the investigation.

US customs officials have screening facilities at Shannon Airport and the passengers aboard the plane would have gone through immigration there before boarding the aircraft for the seven and a half hour flight.

PA