March 6 (UPI) — A Sun Country Airlines flight from the Twin Cities to Mexico was diverted to El Paso due to “a security concern,” the airline said Wednesday night.
The nature of the security concern was not clear. The low-budget carrier said the Flight 593 was diverted to El Paso “out of an abundance of caution.”
“The aircraft landed without incident, passengers have been deplaned safely and will be provided overnight accommodations,” Sun Country Airlines said in a statement.
“We are working with law enforcement to fully investigate the situation and assess the validity of the concern.”
FBI El Paso Special Agent in Charge John Morales confirmed their was a law enforcement operation involved.
He said in a statement that his office was notified at about 5:15 p.m. MST of a diverted airplane heading to El Paso by the local airport and the FBI’s national Threat operations Center.
“FBI El Paso personnel have responded to the scene to assist our partners and ensure the safety of the passengers and the flight crew aboard the plane,” he said. “As this is an ongoing situation, no further information can be given at this time.”
Sun Country Airlines said Flight 593 had departed from Minneapolis-St. Paul for Mazatlan, Mexico.
“We apologize to our passengers and all those affected by this situation, but safety and security are our highest priorities,” the airline said.
This is a developing story.