Southwest Airlines Flight 373 took off from Midway and arrived at about 2:30 Sunday at Long Island Islip Macarthur Airport.
Seventy-five-year-old Draco Slaughter is being held on $50,000 bail.
Passengers were getting off the plane when a flight attendant noticed a carry-on bag on an empty seat. According to police, Slaughter told her there was a bomb in it.
Nothing dangerous was found. Slaughter says he was joking.