A source close to the investigation tells Eyewitness News two flight attendants received an airdropped photo of a suicide vest on their iPhones and went to tell the captain.
The incident was reported at about 7:50 a.m. on JetBlue flight 573 bound for Tampa.
About 150 passengers were taken off the plane onto the tarmac via stairways and were bused to a gate to board another plane.
Police searched the plane with a bomb-sniffing dog, and luggage was removed and rescreened.
Authorities did not find anything suspicious.
Port Authority police detectives are investigating where the photo came from.
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