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.
K9 units sniffed through the plane, and luggage was removed and rescreened.
Port Authority police detectives are investigating where the photo came from.