LaGuardia Airport bomb scare temporarily shuts down Terminal B, suspends flights

A bomb scare at LaGuardia Airport in Queens led to the temporary evacuation of Terminal B and the suspension of flights early Saturday, officials said.
A suspicious duffle bag found at the terminal’s TSA screening area at 5:35 a.m. sparked an evacuation of the terminal where all Jet Blue, American Airlines and United Airlines flights take off and land, according to source with knowledge with the case.
The duffle bag tested positive for an organic material that is used in bomb making, while several 18-volt batteries used for power tools were found in the bag, the source said.
Flights going in and out fromTerminal B were suspended as Port Authority police investigated.
Scores of people were left standing around outside as screenings were temporarily halted while Port Authority police investigated.
“Only passengers who had not already gone through airport security at the time of the investigation had been asked to wait outside,” a Port Authority spokesman said.
The NYPD Bomb Squad was called in to check on the package, which was determined to not be an explosive.
“Passengers who were asked to leave during the investigation were allowed to return to the terminal by 8:10 a.m.,” the spokesman said. “No flights were affected during the investigation.”