Alaska Airlines Jet Evacuated On Runway After Passenger Bomb Threat

Operations at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) were massively disrupted yesterday, after an aircraft had to be evacuated on the runway…

“Direct threat” from passenger causes emergency response

This incident happened at around 12PM yesterday (June 14, 2025), and involves Alaska Airlines flight AS2123, operated by regional subsidiary Horizon Air. The six-year-old Embraer E175 with the registration code N636QX was supposed to operate the short 213-mile flight from Seattle to Walla Walla (ALW), with 72 people onboard (four crew members and 68 passengers).

During the taxi to the runway, a passenger “made a direct threat to the safety of the aircraft” to one of the flight attendants. This reportedly came in the form of a bomb threat, but it’s not known exactly what was said.

The crew followed the established procedures, and secured the aircraft on a runway, away from the airport. The aircraft was positioned to runway 16R/34L, and a second runway was closed as well, meaning the airport was down to one runway. Presumably the decision to close the second runway came down to passengers being evacuated onto the runway, so not wanting active operations in the area.

Federal and local law enforcement were notified, and approached the aircraft. All passengers were deplaned on the runway, and authorities searched the aircraft and suspect. Furthermore, the suspect was taken into custody.

In addition to massive delays, the disruption caused the cancelation of at least six flights, and the diversion of two others. The flight to Walla Walla ended up operating around five hours behind schedule, with the airline describing the delay as being due to “operational difficulties.”

Some passengers have really bad judgment…

We don’t know exactly what the nature of the bomb threat was, but I think it’s likely that it was an “all bark and no bite” situation (which is a good thing). Typically, those who actually have bad intentions on an aircraft aren’t going to make that known, since it would foil any potential plot.

So that leaves us with people who have really bad judgment, and somehow think that making a threat against an aircraft is going to end well for them. I can’t even begin to process what goes through someone’s head when they do that, and how they see that playing out.

At times, I wonder if responses to airplane bomb threats are maybe a little too extreme. For example, bomb threat hoaxes have become a big issue in India, where people will post on social media claiming to threaten a certain aircraft, and that prompts a diversion. It’s one thing if there’s reason to believe a threat is credible, but more often than not, it isn’t the case.

But hey, I guess the “better safe than sorry” concept applies here. In this Alaska situation, a minimum, someone making a threat against an aircraft needs to be removed ASAP, because that’s not someone you want to deal with after a plane takes off.

Bottom line

A Horizon Air jet operating a flight on behalf of Alaska Airlines was delayed significantly, after a passenger made a bomb threat. This triggered a full-on response from authorities, including the plane being evacuated on the runway. This caused dozens of delays, and even some cancelations and diversions. C’mon, folks, use common sense. Bomb threats never end well.