Passengers return to New York's LaGuardia Airport following bomb threat evacuation after NYPD determines 'suspicious baggage' is not dangerous

  • Suspicious baggage at New York City's LaGuardia Airport caused an evacuation on Thursday morning
  • The baggage was flagged during a security screening and caused airport officials to evacuate passengers from Terminal C to Terminal D
  • Explosives specialists recommended the NYPD bomb squad investigate the baggage, but details were not revealed
  • The owner flew from LaGuardia Airport to Detroit, Michigan, where he is being questioned by authorities 
  • The bomb squad cleared the bag's contents around 9am after it was determined not dangerous 

The NYPD bomb squad cleared suspicious baggage from LaGuardia Airport in New York City after officials shut down a terminal and evacuated air travelers when it triggered a security alarm. 

Officials with LaGuardia Airport announced on Twitter that all roadways to Terminal C and D were closed due to 'police activity' around 7:30am.

A second tweet revealed that all waiting passengers in Terminal D were evacuated to Terminal C as 'a security investigation under way.'

Authorities have not released details, but NBC New York reports that a suspicious package was flagged during baggage security. 

The NYPD bomb squad dispatched to LaGuardia Airport in New York City on Thursday after suspicious baggage was flagged during a security screening

The Transportation Security Administration said explosives specialists at the airport examined the bag and suggested calling the NYPD bomb squad. 

Bomb squad members arrived to airport and are currently investigating the baggage.  

The owner of the bag flew to Detroit, Michigan, from LaGuardia Airport and is being questioned by authorities there. 

The city's fire department said they were dispatched to the airport over reports of a white powder, but details on that were not released.

Confused passengers at LaGuardia Airport (pictured) stood outside of Terminal C and D while authorities investigated the incident Thursday morning

Confused passengers at LaGuardia Airport (pictured) stood outside of Terminal C and D while authorities investigated the incident Thursday morning 

Air travelers in Terminal C were temporarily evacuated to Terminal D as Port Authority officials and NYPD bomb squad members investigated

Air travelers in Terminal C were temporarily evacuated to Terminal D as Port Authority officials and NYPD bomb squad members investigated 

The Fire Department of the City of New York dispatched over reports of a white powder substance found with the baggage, but the details surrounding that were unclear

The Fire Department of the City of New York dispatched over reports of a white powder substance found with the baggage, but the details surrounding that were unclear

While passengers waited outside the airport (pictured), the bag owner landed in Detroit, Michigan, and was questioned by authorities there

While passengers waited outside the airport (pictured), the bag owner landed in Detroit, Michigan, and was questioned by authorities there

TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein told DailyMail.com that the investigation was cleard and the baggage determined safe. 

'The NYPD Bomb Squad cleared the contents of the bag at approximately 9 a.m. It was determined that the substance was not dangerous. The terminal was repopulated after the bag was cleared,' she said. 

DailyMail.com has reached out to the Transportation Security Administration, Port Authority and LaGuardia Airport for further comment.

Like many other industries, American air travel was dealt a massive blow by the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic earlier this year.

Mounting fears over exposure and spreading the virus shuttered entire airports as airlines struggled to stay afloat with a swift exodus of passengers.

Air travel has picked up slightly since the first coronavirus case hit the US in January, but safety protocols have been overhauled and states have placed restrictions on travel. 

In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo added Delaware, Kansas and Oklahoma to the 19 designated states on his travel advisory.

A spokesperson with the Transportation Security Administration said the baggage was cleared by the NYPD bomb squad around 9am and the airport resume normal operations

A spokesperson with the Transportation Security Administration said the baggage was cleared by the NYPD bomb squad around 9am and the airport resume normal operations

People traveling to New York from those states have been ordered to quarantine for 14 days or risk.

The other states on the list include: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.

States like Florida and Texas were forced to re-implement some restrictions, likes bars closing once again in the Sunshine State, after significant spikes in coronavirus cases inundated the state. 

'As states around the country experience increasing community spread, New York is taking action to ensure the continued safety of our phased reopening. Our entire response to this pandemic has been by the numbers, and we've set metrics for community spread just as we set metrics for everything,' Gov Cuomo said in a statement.

'Three more states have now reached the level of spread required to qualify for New York's travel advisory. We will now require individuals coming from Delaware, Kansas and Oklahoma to quarantine for 14 days.

'New Yorkers did the impossible - we went from the worst infection rate in the United States to one of the best - and the last thing we need is to see another spike of COVID-19.'

 It comes as New York recorded 588 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the state total to just over 398,200. Ten new deaths were also recorded, bringing the death toll to 24,924.

 The number of cases across the United States has now surpassed 2.9 million and more than 130,000 Americans have died from COVID-19.