Bomb Threats Via Twitter Partly Shut Down Atlanta's Hartsfield Airport

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that "Credible" bomb threats were made Saturday against two flights bound for Atlanta, an airport spokesman said. The flights landed safely after being escorted into Atlanta by military fighter jets. Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport spokesman Reese McCrainie told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution at 3 p.m. that both flights — Delta 1156 and Southwest 2492 — had landed and were sitting on a taxiway waiting to be swept by the Atlanta police Bomb Squad. ... Witnesses reported seeing multiple emergency vehicles on the tarmac, and the Federal Aviation Administration said just before 3 p.m. that departing flights were experiencing gate holds and delays of up to 30 minutes due to a bomb threat. USA Today says that the flights were on their way to Atlanta from, respectively, Portland, Oregon and Milwaukee, and adds that "NORAD Media Relations Specialist Preston Schlachter confirmed that two F-16 jets launched from McIntire Air Force Base in South Carolina as a precautionary measure."

Comments

Re:Credible?

[Slashjones]

If there's even a 0.0000000001% chance that something is a credible threat, you can't take any chances. That's why you never see anyone get in a car; it's too dangerous.

Re:Other than the obligatory security theatre...

[gweihir]

And to give the appearance of "doing something" in a situation where realistically, nothing can be done. It is very important for governments to always give the appearance to be in control and that they know what they are doing, even when any halfway smart person knows neither is true most of the time.