United flight from Newark to Los Angeles diverts to Chicago after suspicious bag and note are found in bathroom saying aircraft was going to ‘blow up’

A United Airlines flight traveling to Los Angeles International Airport was diverted to Chicago after a bomb threat Wednesday morning.

United Flight 1533 took off from Newark Liberty International Airport at 6:05 a.m. and landed at O’Hare Airport at 7:44 a.m. Chicago time.

A suspicious bag was found aboard the flight, KTLA reported.

A note was also found in the bathroom saying the plane would explode, according to an initial police investigation.

All 202 passengers on the plane were evacuated and the plane was being searched at a remote location at O’Hare Airport, police said in a statement.

Police dogs were deployed to the plane upon landing, a K-9 found a suspicious bag and a robot was deployed to remove it, CBS reported.

The dog connected the smell of the threatening note and the bag, an airline source told CBS.

Police are questioning the passenger who searched the bag and the FBI is also investigating the incident.

“Someone allegedly broke into the bathroom and made a bomb threat through the bathroom window and now we have made an emergency landing in Chicago,” passenger Rashad Robinson posted on X.

“We are held on buses away from the plane, about a mile from the main O’hare airport,” he explained.

“They’re going to search everyone’s bags and we don’t have a clear plan to get to Los Angeles or get back to Newark,” he explained.

Columnist Ian O’Connor was also aboard the United flight and confirmed that all passengers disembarked safely.

“They only told us on the air that a situation forced us to divert,” he explained in X.

“The threat was revealed to us when the plane was parked and police and fire trucks began to approach.

Adding: ‘Everyone safe. It was a tense last 40 minutes in the air, but the crew did a good job of being firm and urgent without showing panic.

“United Flight 1533 diverted to Chicago this morning due to a potential safety issue,” United said in a statement.

‘The flight landed safely and met local authorities on arrival.

“Customers have disembarked and we expect the flight to leave for Los Angeles this afternoon.”