Bomb Threat Delays Continental Connection Flight

HOUSTON (AFX) - A Continental Airlines Inc. commuter flight was delayed without incident for about an hour Monday after its scheduled landing at George Bush Intercontinental Airport because of a bomb threat, authorities said.

The flight from Tyler, about 200 miles north of Houston, landed about 10:50 a.m. and was diverted to a taxiway, where local, state and federal authorities took about an hour to determine the plane and its passengers were safe, said Marlene McClinton, spokeswoman for the Houston Airport System.

The airport continued to operate normally during the investigation, McClinton said.

The twin-turboprop, operated by Colgan Air Inc., holds 34 passengers, though it wasn't immediately known how many were onboard, a Continental spokeswoman said.

FBI spokeswoman Shauna Dunlap described the incident as a 'nonspecified bomb threat' that apparently started in Tyler. A call to the airport in the East Texas city, which is located between Dallas and Shreveport, La., was not immediately returned.

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