SAN DIEGO (KSWB/KUSI) – Authorities are investigating after reports of a possible bomb threat caused a Hawaiian Airlines flight departing for Honolulu from San Diego International Airport (SAN) to be evacuated Tuesday morning. Police confirmed one passenger has been arrested in connection with the incident.
The plane, an Airbus twin-jet, left its gate at SAN around 8:30 a.m., according to FlightAware. Its intended destination was Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu. However, the flight did not depart as scheduled and taxied to a separate area on the airfield.
Harbor Police confirmed with Nexstar’s KSWB/KUSI that there was a bomb threat made in connection with the flight. A spokesperson for the port said there was no threat to the public or travelers, and Harbor Police will continue its investigation into the incident.
“At 8:46 a.m., Port of San Diego Harbor Police dispatch received a call from the captain of Hawaiian Airlines flight number 15 with reports of a possible bomb threat onboard the aircraft,” the port spokesperson stated. “The flight was set to depart from the San Diego International Airport to Honolulu, Hawaii and had just detached from the jetway when a flight attendant informed the flight’s captain that a passenger reported a possible bomb onboard. The captain then called Harbor Police dispatch.”
They said personnel from the Harbor Police’s Maritime Tactical team, K-9 team, Joint Terrorism Task Force, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation were all involved with the response.
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A Hawaiian Airlines plane was evacuated after an alleged bomb threat on May 20, 2025. (FOX 5/KUSI) -
Hawaiian Airlines plane evacuated after alleged bomb threat on May 20, 2025. (SkyFOX/KUSI in the Sky) -
Hawaiian Airlines plane evacuated after alleged bomb threat on May 20, 2025. (SkyFOX/KUSI in the Sky) -
Hawaiian Airlines plane evacuated after alleged bomb threat. (SkyFOX/KUSI in the Sky)
Following a search of the aircraft, authorities determined “nothing suspicious” was found on the plane.
Isai Solorzano, a Navy sailor who was on the flight, told KSWB/KUSI what he witnessed. He explained law enforcement officials boarded the plane and asked about the owner of some specific containers.
“One guy stood up, they immediately told him to turn around and put him in handcuffs,” Solorzano said. “They took him away.”
A male passenger was seen being led off the aircraft in handcuffs during the incident in a video shared with KSWB/KUSI by Debra Danzig, another passenger on the flight.
Around 12:15 p.m., Hawaiian Airlines issued the following statement about the situation:
“During pushback from the gate, a guest was overheard making a threat to the safety of our aircraft. As a precaution, the captain immediately taxied the Airbus A330 to a safe location on the airfield, where it was met with local and federal law enforcement and guests were safely deplaned.”
The airline further stated there were 283 passengers and 10 crew members onboard the plane.
The people onboard were seen leaving the plane around 10:30 a.m. All 293 people were transported by bus to a safe area.
“We appreciate their understanding during this situation and apologize for any concern this may have caused,” the statement from Hawaiian Airlines added. “We are working to get all guests to Honolulu as quickly as possible. We are grateful for the professionalism and care of our flight attendants and pilots throughout this event.”
Meanwhile, the plane was moved to a secure location and is being checked by K-9s, Harbor Police added.
The rest of the airport operated as normal during the incident and no other flights were impacted, according to an airport spokesperson.
Passengers were let back on the Hawaiian Airlines plane after the search of the aircraft ended and the flight departed SAN around 2:20 p.m., about six hours following its original scheduled departure.
FOX 5/KUSI’s Tony Shin contributed to this report. Watch his video in the player at the top of the story.
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