Police have arrested a "person of interest" and cleared a passenger plane to fly after it was grounded at the Kelowna, B.C. airport due to a threat Saturday afternoon.
Police would not confirm if there was a bomb threat, but a bomb squad was called in to search the plane.
The airport received a call just after noon threatening a specific flight that had originated in Edmonton, an airport spokesperson said.
As a result, ambulance and fire crews were on “emergency standby” at the airport, which is located in the province’s southern interior.
The WestJet flight circled numerous times before safely landing.
The 98 passengers were initially held on the plane while sniffing dogs went through the luggage. The passengers were later transferred to the terminal for screening by bus.
Police searched the passengers and their luggage and another plane, but found nothing of interest.
Having to stay on the plane during part of the search was upsetting for some passengers.
"If there was a threat, we should have been taken off that plane immediately, de-planed, and then that plane should have been taken to a secure location and looked over and put us in a secure room if that was the case to be concerned about," passenger Ryan Ethier told CTV Vancouver.
At a press conference, RCMP said the passengers were never at risk and the checks were in the abundance of caution.
Police have not laid any charges.
With files from CTV Vancouver.
