As President Biden left Seattle on Friday from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport two hours behind schedule, hundreds of flights were delayed waiting for Air Force One to leave.
According to the Washington Post, a suspicious vehicle at SeaTac prevented Biden from leaving Auburn, where he was speaking at Green River College.
Airport officials later said the suspicious device was a rice cooker in a car near the airport.
Joe Biden’s departure from Auburn, Washington en route to Seattle by helicopter has been delayed due to a suspicious vehicle at the Seattle Airport, per official
— Tyler Pager (@tylerpager) April 22, 2022
Secret service requested all incoming and outgoing flights from SeaTac to be held while the president made his exit, resulting in 229 flight delays, according to flightaware.com.
Travelers voiced their displeasure all over social media Friday evening.
My flight to Seattle was boarded, grounded for an hour, unboarded and is delayed because Air Force One has been ready to leave SeaTac for hours and hasn’t left yet. All flights in/out are grounded
— ✨A Boi Called Rys0n✨ (@Rys0nSparkle) April 22, 2022
Why is Biden so late leaving, and why are they at SeaTac and not Boeing Field? 😭
Stuck on a plane in Portland (@AlaskaAir has been wonderful) after being diverted from SeaTac for POTUS who is in Seattle for Earth Day! Happy jet fuel emissions to all! pic.twitter.com/CCJl7nxiK6
— Colleen Echohawk (@ccechohawk) April 22, 2022
Still on the #SeaTac tarmac waiting on President to depart and the air space to reopen #BidenVisit #Seattle pic.twitter.com/wjuwkIraVA
— Laura Bourmatnov (@LauraBourmatnov) April 22, 2022
At about 4:15 p.m., Biden eventually arrived from Auburn on Marine One and boarded Air Force One.
Air Force One quickly took off moments later.
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