An American Airlines passenger liner was evacuated in the US city of Philadelphia, media reported.

A bomb squad from the Philadelphia Police Department investigated the airplane at Philadelphia International Airport, CBS reported.

“A plane on the runway was searched by police and then cleared. It’s not currently known what circumstances caused the police response to the airport or the search of the plane,” the report said

It cited the airport authorities as saying that the situation started around 6.15 a.m. There were 93 people on board the plane when police conducted the search.

The situation was reported to be under control.

In a statement, American Airlines Flight 648 from San Diego to Philadelphia “was met in Philadelphia by local law enforcement because of a possible security threat to the aircraft”.

“The A320 with 88 passengers and 5 crew landed safely and passengers were transported to the terminal building where they were met by a customer service representative and assisted with their connections or final destination,” it added.