“Authorities cleared a Lufthansa plane, diverted to JFK tonight after a threat. Passengers deplaned and a search of aircraft was negative,’’ New York’s Port Authority said.

A spokesperson for Lufthansa said some 500 passengers and the cabin crew had exited the plane safely and were staying in nearby hotels.

The spokesperson further said that the flight would continue its journey to Frankfurt, but without passengers on board, meanwhile, other flights were not affected by the incident.