Bomb squad sweeps Pittsburgh Symphony's chartered plane in response to threat

Allegheny County Police on Thursday investigated a security threat impacting a plane chartered by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

A note “that was deemed to be potentially threatening” was found at Pittsburgh International Airport around 10:35 a.m. Thursday, Jim Madalinsky, a county police spokesman, said Friday.

The county’s bomb squad swept the plane and the passengers aboard, he said, before officials determined the note “was not threatening in nature.”

Airport operations were not affected, Madalinsky said.

Keene Carter, a spokesperson for the symphony, said the plane was bringing most of the orchestra’s members — along with support staff and several donors — back from a sold-out concert at New York City’s Carnegie Hall.

Officials did not explain in detail what was happening but told the symphony members “a security threat had been identified,” Carter said.

“We remained calm, deplaned, were cleared to go, and are grateful to the authorities and airport for the swift response and professionalism,” he said.

The flight was a charter from Sun Country Airlines. In a statement, the airline said the plane left Newark, N.J. at 10:46 a.m. Thursday and landed at Pittsburgh International Airport at 11:52 a.m. It had 123 passengers, six crew members and a representative of the charter on board.

“Out of an abundance of caution, the aircraft was parked on a nonoperational runway, law enforcement met the plane, and passengers were bussed to the terminal,” Sun Country Airlines said in a written statement.

A spokesman for Pittsburgh International Airport did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday morning.