London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Aug 30, 2026

Flight from El Paso delayed for hours after high school student sends disturbing message to passengers using AirDrop, officials say

Flight from El Paso delayed for hours after high school student sends disturbing message to passengers using AirDrop, officials say

Passengers on a plane traveling from El Paso, Texas, to Chicago were delayed for hours after many of them received the same threatening message just before takeoff.
Last Friday, on American Airlines flight 2051, which had 125 passengers on board, those with Apple devices received an AirDrop notification, local news reported. The cryptic message read: "I have a bomb would like to share a photo," according to a news release by the Texas Department of Public Safety obtained by NBC-affiliated KTSM.

The flight was set to depart at noon and had pulled away from the gate, but after the threat was received, the plane was grounded while a bomb squad searched the aircraft, its passengers, and their luggage.

The investigation — led by the West Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force — found no explosives on board, officials said. Four hours after its scheduled takeoff, the flight was allowed to fly to O'Hare International Airport.

According to the KTSM report, investigators said the suspect, who is a minor, later confessed to sending out the threat, "deemed non-credible" by officials. The suspect's name and age haven't been released, but officials confirmed the teen was a Pennsylvania high school student returning from a mission trip near the Texas-Mexico border, The Dallas Morning News reported.

Investigators had seized the suspect's mobile phone and found evidence that supported the confession before arresting the individual.

The El Paso County Attorney's Office has said it will prosecute the suspect on a state felony charge of false alarm or report. If convicted, the student would face up to two years in jail and a maximum fine of $10,000.

Apple's AirDrop feature allows users to share photos, files, and links with other Apple devices within 30 feet of each other. In January, a flight from Israel to Turkey was delayed for two hours after passengers received images of plane crashes via AirDrop, Insider's Stephanie Stacey reported.
Comments

Oh ya 4 year ago
Cut off his hands as a lesson to others not to be stupid

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Officials Highlight 80 Years of Diplomatic Relations With Philippines
Heavy Rain Disrupts Parts of England After Weeks of Extreme Summer Heat
More Than 200 Extra Police Officers Deployed Across Cleveland After Violent Incidents
Burnham Meets Northern Ireland Leaders for Talks on Economy and Youth Employment
Burnham to Abstain From UK Assisted Dying Vote
NHS Leaders Warn of Severe Financial and Staffing Pressures Ahead of Autumn
UK Treasury Prepares October Budget as Defense and Public Spending Pressures Mount
Scottish Government Publishes Draft Bill for Second Independence Referendum
Royal Navy Tracks Russian Warships and Sanctioned Vessels in 72-Hour Operation
UK and Ukraine Agree AI-Focused Defense Technology Partnership
US Reportedly Weighs Falkland Islands Policy Shift to Pressure UK Over NATO Spending
UK Government Mobilizes Emergency Aid as British Nationals Remain Missing After Nepal Floods
UK Hospitality Industry Reports Stronger Summer Trading but Seeks Tax Relief
Reform UK Proposes £30 Tax Credit for Long HMRC Helpline Waits
Labour Debates Caps on Political Donations Ahead of Future Elections
England Accelerates Housing and Planning Reforms Amid Affordability Crisis
NHS Expands Walk-In Community Health Centers to 40 Locations
UK Regulators Expect Meta to Apply Stronger Child Safety Standards Globally
UK Groups Demand Faster Transport Decarbonization After Extreme Summer Weather
UK Launches 10,000 Work Experience Placements as Youth Unemployment Concerns Rise
UK Government Faces Difficult Autumn Budget Choices Over Defense, Spending and Taxes
UK Government Rejects Calls to Slow AI Data Center Expansion
IMF Raises UK Growth Forecast to 1% Despite Global Supply Chain Risks
UK Unsecured Loan Defaults Reach Highest Level Since 2009
UK Energy Price Cap to Rise 4% to Three-Year High of £1,723
More Than 30 Britons Reported Missing After Deadly Nepal-Tibet Floods
Royal Navy Tracks Russian Warships and Sanctioned Vessels in 72-Hour Operation
Police Intensify Investigation Into Organised Crime-Linked Violence in Middlesbrough
UK Small Businesses Face Continued Revenue and Tax Pressures, Federation Says
M&G Real Estate Buys West Sussex Affordable Housing Portfolio for £29 Million
Royal Navy Warship HMS Tamar Visits Cambodia for Regional Security Engagement
UK Government Brings Forward Benefit Payments Ahead of August Bank Holiday
Four Men Plead Guilty to Arson Attack on Jewish Community Ambulances in North London
Ofgem Raises Great Britain’s Household Energy Price Cap by Four Percent From October
UK Government Rejects Green Party Call for Artificial Intelligence Datacentre Moratorium
Millions of UK Benefit Recipients Receive Payments Early Ahead of August Bank Holiday
UK Prime Minister Meets Northern Ireland Leaders in Belfast Over Budget Crisis
Crypto Tax Gains Reach One Point Three Eight Billion Pounds Among UK Investors, HMRC Data Shows
UK Corporate Confidence Rises to Highest Level Since March, Lloyds Survey Shows
Mike Ashley Attacks UK Government Business Rates and Cost-of-Living Policies
Scottish Universities Face Two Hundred Million Pound Annual Funding Gap, Report Warns
Entertainment Figures Urge UK Government to Protect People From AI Voice Cloning
Manchester Airports Group Confirms Customer Data Breached in Cyberattack
Seven Charged Over Vandalism at Donald Trump’s Turnberry Golf Resort in Scotland
Nearly 23,000 UK Households Expected to Move Home on Busiest Day of 2026
UK Benefit Payments to Arrive Early Ahead of August Bank Holiday
Reform UK Pledges to Replace GDPR and Cut Tax Administration Red Tape
Andy Burnham Launches Work Experience Plan for One Million Young People Outside Education or Work
Andy Burnham Faces Labour Backlash After Dropping Support for Political Donations Cap
Andy Burnham Announces UK-Wide Summit With Leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
×