ATLANTA — Dozens of passengers were forced off a Delta flight Sunday night at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport after a suspicious threat was discovered.

Atlanta police said that around 11 p.m., officers were called to the airport for a flight scheduled to depart to Seattle.

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“Due to the nature of the threat, the passengers deplaned on the airfield,” police said in a news release.

Police said officers and K9s searched the flight before clearing the plane.

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In a statement, Delta said:

“We apologize to our customers on Delta flight 921 from Atlanta to Seattle on July 11 as the flight was cancelled due to additional pre-flight screening by authorities. While nothing is more important than the safety and security of our people and customers, we thank our customers for their patience and understanding.

”Delta teams have worked this morning to quickly reaccommodate customers to their final destinations. We are also reaching out to all customers whose travel has been delayed with a direct apology for the experience.”

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