Staff reports 5:50 a.m.
Sunday, February 12, 2023 5:55 am

A Spirit Airlines plane's takeoff was delayed due to a bomb threat on Saturday. (Manchester-Boston Regional Airport/Twitter)

MANCHESTER - The New Hampshire Department of Safety reported a security threat at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport on Saturday that led to its evacuation.

The threat called into the airport's communication center shortly before 11 a.m. was directed at Spirit Airlines, forcing passengers on its Flight 2025 bound for Tampa, Fla., to be removed from the aircraft. The airport was also evacuated.

The plane was later searched and cleared by safety officials and finally took off a little after 3 p.m., airport officials said.

Homeland Security and Emergency Management also responded to the scene. The FBI is now leading in the probe.