‘Suspicious item’ evacuates JetBlue plane on Newark runway

NEWARK — A JetBlue plane was evacuated Saturday morning on the runway at Newark Liberty International Airport because of a "suspicious item."

At 720 am, a flight attendant on board JetBlue Flight 573 to Tampa observed suspicious item on board plane prior to takeoff. Out of an abundance of caution, plane was moved to remote area and passengers were deplaned and bused to terminal. Passengers and luggage will be rescreened. PAPD investigating.

Port Authority spokesman Rudolph King said JetBlue flight 573 bound for Tampa was ready for takeoff when a flight attendant noticed the item. The plane returned to a remote area of the airport and 150 passengers were taken by shuttle bus to the terminal "out of an abundance of caution," according to King. The luggage and passengers would be rescreened.

King said Port Authority police are investigating the incident. He would not disclose the specific item spotted by the flight attendant.

The website FlightAware.com showed the flight finally leaving at 10:08 a.m.

Photos posted to Twitter by Nikki Morris shows baggage lined up on the tarmac in back of the plane. More than a dozen law enforcement vehicles were lined up and cones were placed around the aircraft.

The incident did not have any impact on airport operations.

On Thursday, a baggage room of Philadelphia International Airport was shut down because of what appeared to be a pipe bomb inside a piece of luggage. The passenger later explained it was a robot laser prototype.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ

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