Flight diverted after man with box cutter threatens to stab passengers and crew

Box cutters banned from flights after 9/11 attacks

A Frontier Airlines flight from Cincinnati to Tampa was diverted to Atlanta after a man with a box cutter threatened to stab passengers and crew members, according to the airline.

There have been no injuries reported after the incident late on Friday. The plane landed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport where the passenger was detained by Atlanta police, Frontier spokeswoman Jennifer de la Cruz told The New York Times.

“All passengers have deplaned the aircraft and are being provided overnight hotel accommodations in Atlanta,” she told the paper. “A new flight has been scheduled for tomorrow morning to transport passengers from Atlanta to their final destination of Tampa.”

Airport spokesperson Tim Turner told The Times that the man, who remains unnamed, threatened to harm passengers and members of the flight crew. He added that the box cutter had been located on the man after he had been detained.

It’s unclear how the passenger managed to get the box cutter onto the plane. The tool was prohibited on planes following the terror attacks on 11 September 2001, the paper noted. Four domestic flights were hijacked by al-Qaeda members using box cutters.

The Transportation Security Administration website states that box cutters are allowed in checked luggage but not in carry-on bags.

“Any sharp objects in checked bags should be sheathed or securely wrapped to prevent injury to baggage handlers and inspectors,” the site says.