AVIATION: Southwest plane and its passengers are searched in Oakland. Threats briefly close two terminals.
By Art Marroquin
STAFF WRITER
A bomb threat targeting a Southwest Airlines flight from Oakland to Los Angeles International Airport delayed 110 passengers for nearly two hours Monday afternoon, officials said. No device was found.
The threat against Southwest Flight 337 was one of a series of phone calls to the Alameda County Sheriff's Department warning of bombs, said Chris Mainz, a spokesman for Southwest Airlines.
Terminals 1 and 2 at Oakland International Airport were evacuated around 12:30 p.m. and all flights were held as authorities searched for signs of explosives, according to Marilyn Sandifur, a spokeswoman for the Port of Oakland, which operates the airport.
The plane was towed to a remote area of the airport, where passengers were taken off and a search was initiated, Sandifur said.
"A complete security sweep was conducted and nothing suspicious was found on the plane, in the airport or on the passengers themselves," Sandifur said.
The terminals reopened by 2:10 p.m. and Southwest Airlines Flight 337 eventually took off for Los Angeles International Airport a short time later, Mainz said.
