What Happens If There Is a Bomb Threat on a Plane?

A bomb threat on an airplane triggers one of the most serious emergency protocols in aviation. Every airline, air traffic control center, and crew member has trained for this exact scenario. Here's exactly what happens, step by step.

How Bomb Threats Are Received

Bomb threats can reach an aircraft in several ways:

• Phone call to the airline or airport — Someone calls in a threat naming a specific flight
• Written note found on board — A passenger or crew member discovers a threatening note in the lavatory, seat pocket, or elsewhere
• Verbal threat from a passenger — Someone on the plane says they have an explosive device
• Social media or electronic communication — A threat posted online that references a specific flight

Regardless of how the threat arrives, it's treated as credible until proven otherwise. There's no "cry wolf" benefit of the doubt at 35,000 feet.

What Happens Immediately

Under federal regulation 49 CFR 1544.303, airlines must follow a specific chain of actions the moment a bomb threat is received:

Notification Chain

• The aircraft's ground security coordinator is notified immediately
• The captain and all crew members are informed
• TSA is notified
• The airport operator at the nearest suitable airport is alerted
• If the aircraft is outside U.S. airspace, the authorities of the country the plane is flying over are also notified

The Captain's Decision

The captain has ultimate authority over the aircraft. Once informed of a bomb threat, the captain will almost always make the decision to divert to the nearest suitable airport. "Suitable" means an airport with a long enough runway, emergency services, and law enforcement capability. A small regional airstrip won't cut it.

Before landing, the captain will typically descend to a lower altitude. This isn't random — it reduces the pressure differential between the cabin and the outside air, which would reduce the force of any potential explosion.

What the Crew Does During the Threat

Flight attendants are trained to handle this situation discreetly and efficiently:

• Conduct a visual search. Crew members sweep the cabin looking in seat pockets, lavatories, galleys, overhead bins, and under seats for anything suspicious. They do this as calmly as possible to avoid panic.
• Don't touch anything suspicious. If a suspicious item is found, crew members are trained to leave it in place. They don't move it, open it, or try to examine it.
• Create a buffer zone. Passengers are moved away from any suspicious item. If something is found in row 15, the rows around it are cleared.
• Remove flammable items. Blankets, newspapers, and other flammable materials are moved away from the area.
• Position fire extinguishers. Crew members place fire extinguishers within reach of the suspicious area.

What Air Traffic Control Does

Air traffic controllers play a critical role. When informed of a bomb threat on an aircraft:

• They clear airspace around the affected plane, providing extra separation from other traffic
• They give the aircraft priority handling and a direct route to the nearest suitable airport
• They coordinate with the destination airport to have emergency vehicles and law enforcement standing by on the runway
• They treat the aircraft as a full emergency, which means every other plane in the area gives way

What Happens When the Plane Lands

The landing is where things get very real for passengers. Here's the typical sequence:

• The plane taxis to a remote area. It won't go to a normal gate. Instead, it's directed to an isolated part of the airfield, far from the terminal and other aircraft.
• Law enforcement surrounds the aircraft. FBI, local police, airport security, and bomb squad units will be positioned around the plane.
• Passengers evacuate. Everyone deplanes, usually via stairs rather than a jet bridge. In some cases, passengers evacuate using emergency slides.
• Bomb-sniffing dogs and EOD teams search the aircraft. Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians conduct a thorough sweep of the entire plane, including cargo holds.
• Passengers and bags are rescreened. Every passenger goes through security screening again, and all luggage — checked and carry-on — is re-examined.

What Happens to the Passengers

If you're a passenger on a flight that receives a bomb threat, expect significant delays. The search and rescreening process can take several hours. During this time:

• The airline will typically provide water and snacks
• You'll be held in a secure area — you can't just wander into the terminal
• Once the aircraft is cleared, you'll either re-board the same plane or be put on a different aircraft
• If the diversion results in an overnight delay, the airline will provide hotel accommodations

Your connecting flights will be disrupted. The airline will handle rebooking since the diversion is entirely outside your control.

How Often Does This Happen?

Bomb threats against aircraft happen more often than most people realize. The vast majority turn out to be hoaxes. But every single one is treated as if it's real. Airlines and law enforcement would rather divert 100 flights for false alarms than ignore the one that's genuine.

Most threats come in via phone calls to the airline or airport, not from passengers on board. In-flight threats from passengers are relatively rare and tend to involve individuals who are intoxicated or experiencing mental health crises.

Legal Consequences of Making a Bomb Threat

Making a bomb threat against an aircraft is a serious federal crime, whether it's "real" or a "joke." There is no such thing as a funny bomb threat in aviation.

Federal Penalties

• False bomb threat (18 U.S.C. 35): Up to 5 years in federal prison and fines up to $250,000
• If serious bodily injury results: Up to 20 years in prison
• If someone dies as a result: Potential life imprisonment
• Threatening to destroy an aircraft (18 U.S.C. 32): Up to 20 years in prison

Financial Liability

Beyond criminal penalties, anyone who makes a bomb threat can be held financially liable for the costs of the emergency response. A recent case saw a passenger sentenced to 22 months in prison and ordered to pay nearly $80,000 in restitution to the airline and airport for an emergency diversion.

The costs add up fast: fuel for the diversion, emergency response team deployment, rebooking hundreds of passengers, hotel and meal vouchers, and lost revenue from the delayed aircraft.

Threat Assessment: How They Decide If It's Real

Not all bomb threats are treated identically in terms of urgency, though all trigger the same baseline protocols. Aviation security teams evaluate several factors to determine how credible a threat is:

• Specificity: Does the threat name a specific flight, aircraft type, or time? Specific threats get higher priority.
• Knowledge: Does the caller demonstrate knowledge of the aircraft, route, or operational details that an outsider wouldn't typically have?
• Delivery method: Threats delivered in person on the aircraft are treated with the highest urgency. Phone calls to a general airline number are common and often less specific.
• Context: Is there a broader security situation going on? Are there related threats against other flights or targets?

Regardless of the assessment, the aircraft will still divert. The threat level simply affects how many additional resources are deployed and how quickly. A highly credible threat might involve fighter jet escorts and a full airport shutdown at the landing location.

What Happens After the All-Clear

Once the bomb squad clears the aircraft and all passengers have been rescreened, the airline has to figure out what comes next. If the diversion airport has gate availability, the airline may try to continue the flight. But the crew may have exceeded their legal duty time limits by this point, meaning a new crew has to be brought in — or the flight gets cancelled entirely.

Most passengers are rebooked within 24 hours. The airline covers all costs related to the delay, including meals, hotels, and rebooking. If you're stranded overnight in a city you didn't plan to visit, the airline should arrange accommodations. Keep all receipts just in case you need to file for reimbursement.

What You Should Do as a Passenger

If you're on a flight and a bomb threat situation unfolds:

• Stay calm. The crew has trained extensively for this. Follow their instructions exactly.
• Don't touch anything suspicious. If you see an unattended bag or package, tell a flight attendant — don't investigate it yourself.
• Stay seated unless told to move. The crew may need to relocate passengers away from a specific area.
• Be prepared for a quick evacuation. Keep your shoes on and know where the nearest exit is.
• Leave your bags. During an emergency evacuation, you leave everything behind. Stopping to grab your carry-on puts everyone at risk.