Bomb Threat Brings Philadelphia Airport to a Standstill
A bomb threat forced a complete halt to all departing flights from Philadelphia International Airport on Friday evening, injecting further chaos into the already strained Thanksgiving holiday travel weekend. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a ground stop advisory for Pennsylvania's largest airport just after 7pm, bringing air traffic to a temporary standstill.
Officials managed to lift the alarming warning approximately 30 minutes later, allowing normal airport operations to resume. A police spokesperson confirmed to Reuters that the urgent measure was enacted after officers were called to address a security situation aboard an aircraft. Once the specific plane involved in the incident was cleared for takeoff, the ground stop was officially lifted.
Widespread Disruption Across US Air Travel
This security scare compounded a day of significant travel misery across the United States. According to data from FlightAware, nearly 4,000 flights were delayed on Friday, with over 100 cancellations. This followed a pattern of disruption throughout the holiday period; on Thanksgiving itself, there were about 1,865 flight delays and roughly 60 cancellations. The situation was even worse on Wednesday, with more than 6,600 flights entering, exiting, or travelling within the US experiencing delays, and over 120 being canceled entirely.
The FAA had previously warned travellers returning home from their holiday celebrations that gusty winds could spark delays at major airports including those in Boston, New York, Washington DC, and Philadelphia. Meanwhile, low clouds were predicted to slow air traffic on the West Coast in cities like Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego.
Major Airbus Recall Adds to Thanksgiving Woes
Friday's travel chaos was further intensified by a dire emergency recall from Airbus that threatened to cause significant disruptions for nearly every major US airline over the holiday weekend. The aircraft manufacturer announced the discovery of a potential vulnerability in the software on board its popular A320 model.
The flaw, which could interfere with pilots’ ability to steer or stabilise the plane during solar storms, prompted an emergency alert. Industry experts fear the problem could impact a staggering 6,000 jets globally. American Airlines confirmed that 340 of its planes are affected, while Delta, which operates 316 A320 aircraft, anticipated 'limited' impact. United, flying 122 of the affected Airbus models, insisted none of its aircraft would be affected.
Budget carriers Frontier, Spirit, and JetBlue, which rely heavily on the A320 family, are also impacted. While most newer jets will only require a software update, older planes will need a complete onboard computer replacement. In a statement, Airbus acknowledged, 'These recommendations will lead to operational disruptions to passengers and customers.' Southwest Airlines remains the only major carrier exempt from the recall, as its entire fleet consists of Boeing 737s.
