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Video credit: Carter Banks.

A tense scene this morning at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., after a bomb threat was reported aboard United Airlines Flight 512 from Houston. The aircraft, a Boeing 737 (or Max 8), was moved to a remote area of the airport grounds and its 89 passengers along with six crew members were evacuated and bused to the terminal.

According to air-traffic control audio, the crew were warned of an “unconfirmed bomb report” and instructed to taxi away from the main gate. Authorities say the caller demanded $500,000 in cryptocurrency, threatening the plane would explode upon landing.

Investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Washington Field Office (National Capital Response Squad) and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority cleared the aircraft and found no hazardous materials. After about an hour of halted operations—including a ground-stop and diversion of other flights—the airport resumed normal operations around 12:50 p.m. ET, though hundreds of flights were delayed.

This incident highlights a growing trend of hoax threats using digital-extortion tactics targeting commercial aviation. Authorities say the case is under investigation.

Passengers on board the flight were safely relocated and no injuries were reported. Airport officials thanked law-enforcement and security teams for their swift response.