All flights grounded at University Park Airport over suspicious device
(CNN/KDKA) -- All flights were grounded at the University Park Airport in Pennsylvania and about 100 passengers were bused to the nearby Penn State University campus on Friday as authorities investigated a suspicious device found in a checked bag, officials said.
The airport in State College, located less than five miles from the campus, was closed to air traffic and passengers while an explosives device team and local police examine the contents of the bag, which was checked on a flight en route to Chicago, Penn State University Police and Public Safety said in a statement.
A suspicious looking item was detected by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers in a checked back at the airport, according to TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein.
In a tweet Friday night, FBI Philadelphia said "there were no hazardous items identified in the bag & the scene is being cleared."
Along with our law enforcement partners @PennStatePolice & @PAStatePolice, FBI personnel responded to University Park Airport following a report of a suspicious item in a checked bag. Ultimately, there were no hazardous items identified in the bag & the scene is being cleared.
— FBI Philadelphia (@FBIPhiladelphia) March 4, 2023
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop for the airport "due to security." Penn State police said the airport will return to normal operations at 4 a.m. on Saturday.
The airport closure took place as Penn State students were gearing up for their Spring Break travel plans next week. Buses from the university came to the airport to transport about 100 passengers to the campus, where they were offered shelter and given food, according to police.
The University Park Airport calls itself "a home town airport with a world of destinations," according to its Facebook page. It says four airlines -- Allegiant, Delta, United, and American airlines -- offer regularly scheduled flights to and from major hub cities including Detroit, Philadelphia and Washington/Dulles.
Earlier in the day, the general passenger terminal at the airport was evacuated "out of an abundance of caution," police said. There were no incoming or outgoing flights scheduled when the evacuation took place.
The investigation at the airport comes just days after federal agents arrested a Pennsylvania man after he allegedly tried to bring explosives in his suitcase on a flight from Lehigh Valley International Airport in Allentown to Florida.
Marc Muffley, 40, faces two charges, according to a federal complaint, including possession of an explosive in an airport and possessing or attempting to place an explosive or incendiary device on an aircraft.