Bomb Threat at NYC Airport Forces Passengers Off Delta Flight 2313

(NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES) A bomb threat forced passengers off Delta Flight 2313 at LaGuardia Airport on November 4, 2025, halting the Tuesday evening departure to Minneapolis and triggering a large police and emergency response that moved the aircraft away from Terminal C and returned everyone to the terminal for hours while officers searched the plane. Port Authority police led the response just before the flight’s scheduled 8 PM pushback, and by around 10 PM officers had cleared the aircraft with no explosives found and no injuries reported.

The disruption unfolded as the plane left the gate and began to taxi. Jason Matheson, a KMSP anchor traveling on Delta Flight 2313, described the tense pause before the evacuation began.

“We got boarded, the plane went a little way down the runway. Stopped for about 40 minutes, and then we were told there was a security issue,” he said, recounting the moment the routine departure to Minneapolis turned into a bomb threat protocol at one of the United States’ busiest airports.

Passengers said the captain initially told them their safety was not at risk even as the delay stretched and law enforcement converged on the aircraft.

According to a passenger quoted by TMZ, “the pilot announced there would be a delay, but that no one was in danger.” The same passenger said the developing situation soon became more visible inside the cabin when law enforcement and crew focused on a single seat. The passenger observed “an individual [was] escorted from their seat before the rest of the passengers were removed,” underscoring that police prioritized removing one person before conducting a broader evacuation and search.

Delta confirmed the deplaning and said the airline shifted quickly into security procedures once authorities advised of the bomb threat tied to Delta Flight 2313 at LaGuardia Airport. In a statement, a Delta spokesperson said:

“Delta flight 2313 customers were deplaned and transported back to the terminal due to a potential security concern. The safety and security of our customers and employees comes before all else and we apologize for the delay in their travels.”

The airline worked through the evening to re-time the service while first responders assessed the aircraft and ramp area.

The scene on the tarmac underscored the seriousness of the alert. The aircraft was moved away from Terminal C to a remote position as Port Authority Police Department officers and emergency services vehicles surrounded the plane, according to witnesses on board. Airport security joined the response, and authorities conducted a thorough search that took about two hours. By around 10 PM, officers had cleared the aircraft and determined there was no explosive device, allowing the Port Authority to stand down its immediate response on the ramp.

Passengers were returned to the terminal during the investigation, with Delta Flight 2313 ultimately delayed until Wednesday morning, November 5, 2025. Travelers were left to rebook connections, arrange for overnight stays, or wait for the rescheduled departure. While the airline apologized for the disruption and emphasized safety, the consequences were tangible for people onboard trying to reach Minnesota: missed meetings, lost hotel nights, and changed family plans, all triggered by a threat that, in the end, did not yield any physical danger.

The bomb threat at LaGuardia Airport also came on the same day as a separate bomb threat at Washington D.C.’s Reagan National Airport. Authorities have not confirmed any connection between the two events, and each airport handled its response with local and federal partners according to established procedures designed to secure aircraft, terminals, and airside operations while minimizing risk to passengers and crew. Such protocols typically involve moving the aircraft to an isolated area, deplaning passengers, and deploying bomb technicians and canine teams as needed, along with a sweep by security personnel. The Transportation Security Administration outlines general screening and security procedures for travelers on its official site, including advisories on how incidents can affect flight times and access to gates; travelers can review those details through the TSA’s security screening guidance.

At LaGuardia, the initial focus was the aircraft carrying Delta Flight 2313 and the people onboard. Port Authority Police led the operation on the airfield while emergency services and airport security conducted the search. The aircraft’s move away from Terminal C kept the concourse open to other flights even as fire engines and patrol vehicles ringed the plane at a remote stand. The aim of moving to a standoff location is to maintain a buffer from crowded terminal areas while responders work through a methodical assessment. For travelers on the aircraft, that meant waiting on board during the first phase, then returning to the gate area once instructed, with crew and ground staff managing communications and logistics.

Matheson’s account of the aircraft stopping “for about 40 minutes” before the cabin crew relayed the “security issue” captures how these events often unfold in real time: a pause on the taxiway, cautious updates from the cockpit, and then the formal response once police advise the airline to initiate deplaning and secure the aircraft. The TMZ passenger’s description that “the pilot announced there would be a delay, but that no one was in danger” aligned with the outcome hours later when the plane was cleared with “no explosives or threat found,” according to the accounts of those present.

Delta’s emphasis on safety, articulated in the statement that “The safety and security of our customers and employees comes before all else and we apologize for the delay in their travels,” mirrors the priority set by airport authorities during any bomb threat. For the airline, that meant coordinating buses or jet bridges for deplaning, rebooking passengers as needed, and positioning the aircraft for inspection. For the Port Authority, it meant deploying officers to secure the perimeter and guide the search that concluded around 10 PM with the all-clear.

The timing added complexity to an already busy evening at LaGuardia Airport. The 8 PM hour coincides with a wave of departures to cities across the country, and a bomb threat tied to Delta Flight 2313 rippled through operations as gates, ground crews, and equipment were reassigned. The decision to delay the flight until the next morning reflects the logistical reality of post-incident checks, crew duty-time limits, and the backlog that builds as a two-hour airfield investigation pushes late-evening schedules past operational cutoffs.

Passengers faced the practical issues that come with an unexpected overnight delay. Some had to seek hotel rooms near LaGuardia or in Manhattan and Queens, while others stayed in the terminal awaiting confirmation of the Wednesday morning departure. Airline agents typically help with meal vouchers, hotel options, and updated boarding passes in such cases, but the source material provided no details on those arrangements beyond the confirmation that the flight was rescheduled for the next day. What is clear is that everyone was safely deplaned and returned to the terminal, and that “no explosives or threat found” conclusion closed the security chapter even as travel plans remained disrupted.

The LaGuardia incident’s alignment with a separate same-day alert at Reagan National raised the question of whether the events were linked. Authorities “have not confirmed any connection between the two events,” and they continued treating them as distinct cases in different jurisdictions with different agencies taking the lead. In New York, that was the Port Authority Police, with emergency services and airport security executing the search. In Washington, the response involved that airport’s own security apparatus. Without confirmed ties, officials returned their focus to restoring normal operations and moving passengers to their destinations.

For travelers who have grown accustomed to routine security screenings, a bomb threat underscores how quickly an ordinary evening can change. Although the plane bound for Minneapolis was eventually cleared and no device was found, the protocols at LaGuardia Airport were put fully into motion for Delta Flight 2313: the aircraft diverted from Terminal C, an initial individual escorted from a seat before a full cabin offload, a comprehensive search, and a delayed departure shifted to November 5, 2025. The sequence fits a pattern designed to separate potential risk from crowded spaces and allow investigators to work without interference.

By late evening, with the aircraft cleared and passengers back inside, the Port Authority and Delta turned to the administrative and operational work that follows such events, from incident logs to maintenance inspections to customer re-accommodation. The absence of injuries and the lack of any discovered device meant the episode ended without physical harm, but its impact measured in hours lost and plans changed was plain for those on board. As airlines and airports adjust to an environment where threats must be treated seriously until disproved, travelers may see more visible police activity and hear guarded updates from crews when incidents arise.

The airline’s bottom line in its public statement remains the closing note for the night at LaGuardia:

“Delta flight 2313 customers were deplaned and transported back to the terminal due to a potential security concern. The safety and security of our customers and employees comes before all else and we apologize for the delay in their travels.”

For the passengers of Delta Flight 2313, the apology acknowledged a long night that began with taxiing toward takeoff and ended with a morning departure following a thorough but ultimately reassuring response to a bomb threat that did not materialize into physical danger.