Passenger with box cutter forces Tampa-bound flight’s diversion to Atlanta, airline says

ATLANTA — A Frontier Airlines flight made an emergency landing Friday night at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport after a passenger was spotted with a weapon.

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A Frontier spokesperson confirmed to WSB-TV that the flight was en route to Tampa, Florida, from Cincinnati.

A fellow passenger spotted the individual holding a box cutter, the TV station reported.

In an email to The New York Times, Frontier spokesperson Jennifer de la Cruz confirmed that the armed passenger was taken into custody by Atlanta police after landing.

Meanwhile, Hartsfield-Jackson spokesperson Tim Turner told the newspaper that the male passenger, who has not been identified publicly, had been threatening to stab passengers and crew members on the airplane.

Authorities found the box cutter in the man’s possession after he was taken into custody, Turner added.

Box cutters were prohibited on flights amid a widespread security overhaul after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when four domestic flights were commandeered by members of Al Qaeda wielding box cutters, the Times reported.

No injuries were reported, WSB reported.

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