Flights halted at Atlanta airport after 'threatening note' found on plane

Flights at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport were held Saturday morning after a threatening note was discovered on a plane, authorities said. Operations were returning to normal after 9 a.m.

ATLANTA — Flights at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport were temporarily suspended Saturday morning after a threatening note was discovered on a plane, authorities said.

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The note was found just before 7 a.m. on an American Airlines flight bound for Dallas, said Atlanta police spokesman Carlos Campos.

Shortly before takeoff, a crew member discovered a sticker on the floor of the plane's galley that referenced people dying, police said.

"The pilot made the decision to come back to the gate so we could check the plane," Campos said, adding that passengers were evacuated and rescreened once the aircraft returned to Concourse T.

Police searched the plane, but found nothing that posed a threat to passengers or crew members, authorities said. The all-clear was given and the airport returned to normal operations shortly before 9 a.m.

The airport appeared to run smoothly once the ground stop was lifted. At the Domestic North Terminal, passengers soon reported on-time departures and security lines were manageable.

It's unclear what the note said or who stuck it to the floor of the plane, but Campos confirmed that no arrests were made.

A Federal Aviation Administration spokesman said a list of delayed flights caused by Hartsfield-Jackson's ground stop won't be available until Monday.