New York, NY – Air traffic controllers at New York’s LaGuardia Airport issued a rare MANPADS alert to arriving aircraft early Wednesday after receiving a report of a person carrying what was believed to be a portable rocket launcher near Terminal C.
The alert was broadcast at approximately 12:27 a.m. to inbound flights, including Delta Air Lines Flight 2604 arriving from Detroit, according to air traffic control audio that has circulated online.
Controllers warned pilots of possible threat
During the radio transmission, controllers advised pilots to use caution after receiving the report.
One pilot requested additional information about the alert.
“Yeah, it’s a, uh, basically it was a report of a rocket launcher,” the controller replied. “They say by, I believe, Terminal C… but nothing has been an issue as of yet.”
MANPADS, or Man-Portable Air-Defense Systems, are shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile systems capable of targeting low-flying aircraft. Although such reports are extremely uncommon, aviation officials treat them as high-priority security incidents until they can be investigated.
Authorities found no credible threat
Authorities quickly investigated the report and determined it was not credible.
There were no evacuations, flight cancellations, ground stops, or other significant disruptions to airport operations following the alert.
As of Wednesday, neither the Federal Aviation Administration nor the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey had publicly released additional information regarding the incident.
Rare aviation security alert
MANPADS alerts are seldom issued at U.S. commercial airports because of the potential risk posed by the weapons, even when reports ultimately prove to be unfounded.
According to the information available, this is believed to be only the second publicly reported MANPADS alert involving a major U.S. airport in recent years. A similar incident occurred at Los Angeles International Airport in 2013, where authorities also determined the report was not credible.
The circumstances surrounding the initial report at LaGuardia remain under investigation.
