Delayed Breeze flight lands back in Providence

WARWICK, R.I. (WLNE) — Breeze Flight 717 landed safely at TF Green International Airport around 2:30 Wednesday afternoon, after its path was interrupted by a what passengers say was a potential bomb threat.

Video from passengers showed the initial arrest and K-9 units searching the plane after landing.

Passengers told ABC 6 News crews the plane was only in the air for around 45 minutes.

“We had a lot of children with us on the plane, and it was scary for people because the flight attendants kept coming up and down,” passenger Jodi Puko said. “They were moving seats, they went to the front, went to the back, on the sides, and kind of rearranging people. And it was clear they weren’t comfortable with the situation going on.”

Among the passengers was the Barrington Pop Warner Cheer team, on their way back from a national competition in Orlando.

Coaches with the team said they were chaperoning not just for their own kids but for other parents too.

“Quickly FaceTime the parents so that way, if they heard about it on the news, they knew that their child was safe and doing fine,” parent and coach Stacey Munzerz said. “And just keeping them distracted and having fun by doing cheers.”

Parents had two major concerns, the first being that one of the two individuals involved in the incident was back on the flight.

“I think one thing that was very disappointing to everyone on that plane, I really shouldn’t say everybody but a lot of people, was that one of the suspects who was handcuffed yesterday was allowed back on the flight,” Stephanie Wilmarth, another parent and coach, said.

The other concern was getting reimbursed for their stay in Jacksonville.

“Some families don’t have the money to pay for it,” Wilmarth said. “And so, Breeze did not give them a voucher or help in any way we were kind of on our own. So, we kind of scrambled to get a hotel and get 23 people to lodging.”

According to representatives with Breeze, passengers can be reimbursed for up to $150 from the delay.

Speaking with other passengers, they told ABC 6 Crews they were just happy to be off an airplane, out of the airport, and back home.

ABC 6 also reached out to the FBI, who says the case is still under active investigation.