Man arrested after bomb scare on Toronto plane; no evidence of explosive device

TORONTO, Ont. –  A man in his forties was arrested after Toronto’s island airport went on high alert Friday when a passenger on a Chicago-bound flight was overheard talking about a pipe bomb, police said.

“The party has been arrested and is in custody. The investigation is ongoing,” said Staff Sgt. Steve French, who added charges are pending.

There was no evidence that an explosive device was found on the airplane or at the airport, police said.

Police officers, the marine unit, and the Emergency Task Force descended on the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport after receiving a call around 12:17 p.m.

“A flight attendant overheard a passenger on an aircraft that was going to Chicago talking about a possible pipe bomb at Bishop airport,” said Const. Isabelle Cotton.

The passengers were told to leave the aircraft, which had not left the tarmac.

Police swept the plane once and then placed it in a secure area, said Cotton.

“The bomb squad from ETF searched the plane again, nothing was found.”

Geoffrey Wilson, president and CEO of Toronto Port Authority, said security also swept the airport.

“The rest of the terminal was searched and was also found to be clean,” said Wilson, adding police had left by late afternoon.

The flight was cancelled and the passengers took other flights on the Porter network to reach their destinations, said airport officials.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today