Fort Wayne, Indiana, airport reopens following Twitter bomb threat, 'abnormal' bag

Police evacuated Fort Wayne International Airport in Indiana on Friday after a threat made on Twitter about a bomb on an outgoing Delta flight, airport authorities said.

Scott Hinderman, executive director of the airport, told reporters that the Transportation Security Administration alerted officials to the tweeted threat about a bomb on the "next Delta flight outbound."

Hinderman said the airport initially deemed the tweet as a non-credible threat, until at about the same time, authorities identified a bag at the airport with "abnormalities," then a passenger on the flight asked to exit and rebook.

"At that point, it became a little bit more credible," Hinderman said, saying officials then evacuated the airport. The airport announced in a tweet just before 4:30 that the terminal had reopened.

The bag was never loaded onto the aircraft, Hinderman said, noting a bomb squad was investigating.

During the evacuation, incoming flights continued to arrive, Hinderman said.

"We do think, unless something goes different, this will be a non-event in about 20 to 30 minutes," Hinderman said about 4 p.m. He told reporters he doesn't recall the airport being forced to evacuate from a potentially credible bomb threat during his 14 years at the airport.

The airport is located just outside of Fort Wayne in Allen County. It's serviced by four airlines: American, Delta, Allegiant and United.

The airport offers 14 nonstop flights to destinations within the U.S., including Chicago; Phoenix; Detroit; Philadelphia; and Orlando, Florida, among others, and allows for connections in bigger cities around the country.

Pulliam Fellow Claire Rafford contributed.

Contact Sarah Nelson at sarah.nelson@indystar.com or 317-503-7514.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Fort Wayne International Airport reopens following bomb threat