Explosive threat causes Maui-bound Southwest flight to divert

Allison Schaefers, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Updated ·2 min read

Jul. 8—An explosive security threat Monday caused a Maui-bound Southwest flight from Las Vegas to divert to Oakland, Calif.

An explosive security threat Monday caused a Maui-bound Southwest flight from Las Vegas to divert to Oakland, Calif.

The lead investigatory agency, the Alameda County Sheriff's Office, said Friday that there were no updates to report, and no arrests.

Maui resident Valerie Ma ­luchnik, who was traveling on the plane with her two children, said the plane was already about an hour over the ocean when it was diverted.

She said her anxiety level escalated after she overheard a flight attendant saying "Get me the f—off this plane, " but said she did not learn that there had been a potential explosive threat until after the plane had been cleared and she and her children were waiting with other passengers at the Oakland terminal.

TSA spokesperson Lori Dankers said in an email that the ACSO was the lead law enforcement agency for the incident. However, Dankers said that "TSA's explosive detection canines were used to screen the travelers as they deplaned the Southwest Airlines aircraft. All travelers were re-screened by TSA officers through the security checkpoint in Terminal 1."

Maluchnik said passengers were eventually put on a new plane, which arrived on Maui on Monday night instead of the afternoon as had been previously been scheduled.

Maluchnik praised the way that the incident was handled by the sheriff's office, TSA and Southwest. She said the airline already had issued passengers an apology and compensation before the second plane arrived on Maui.

"If (Southwest ) had handled it any differently, I probably wouldn't (fly them again ) just because of how serious it was. But they were so wonderful that I will continue to use them in the future, " she said.

However, she added that she's still struggling over what might have been, and plans to pursue counseling.

"My kids don't quite understand the weight of what happened, " Maluchnik said. "For me living through 9 /11, living through Columbine, as a teacher going through active-shooter drills—the weight of what was going on hit me all at once."

Southwest Airlines said in a statement, "Flight 3316 on Monday afternoon diverted to Oakland from its intended journey, Las Vegas to Maui, and later continued on to Maui. We'd defer additional questions to local authorities who met the aircraft at (Oakland ).

"Safety is our guiding focus and we're grateful for patience and understanding during this delayed journey to Hawaii."