Canadian fighters scrambled after 'potential threat' on flight

[flee 5]

(CNN) -- Two Canadian fighter jets on Saturday escorted a Cathay Pacific Airways flight into Vancouver International Airport in response to a bomb threat on the plane, authorities said.

 

"A security issue raised on the ground in Vancouver meant extra security for the aircraft inbound to the airport and upon arrival," Gus Whitcomb, a spokesman for Cathay Pacific, said in a statement. "We are not aware of any issues arising on board the aircraft itself."

 

The security issue was a bomb threat that had been called in at 10:43 a.m. (1:43 p.m. ET), Cpl. Sherrdean Turley of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police told reporters outside the airport.

 

The plane landed safely at 1:35 p.m. (4:35 p.m. ET), said Alisa Gloag, a spokeswoman for the Vancouver Airport Authority.

 

Passengers were deplaned and the aircraft was towed to another area for further inspection, she said.

 

Turley said law enforcement authorities determined there was no threat aboard the aircraft.

An investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is under way, Turley said.

 

Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/05/15/canada.flight.threat/index.html

[aaronhiew 0]

Luckily nothing has happened...

[Denny Yen 0]

[Pieter C. 5]

Cathay Plane Escorted To Vancouver After 'Bomb Hoax'

 

May 16, 2010

 

A Cathay Pacific airliner from Hong Kong was escorted by military fighter jets to its destination in Vancouver, Canada, after what the airline called a "bomb hoax," but no bomb was found, police said on Saturday.

 

Police searched the aircraft and luggage after the flight landed at Vancouver Airport, but "nothing of concern" was found and there was no danger to passengers, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

 

Two Canadian CF-18 Hornets were scrambled from a military base on nearby Vancouver Island to escort the Cathay Pacific Airways plane in response to the threat, according to police and the Hong Kong-based airline.

 

"The Vancouver Airport Authority had earlier received an anonymous bomb threat," Cathay said in a written statement.

 

"As a precaution, two military jets escorted the CX838 as it came into land. The jets did not land with CX838, but returned to their base," it added.

 

"The Royal Canadian Mounted Police are conducting an investigation into the bomb hoax and at this stage it is inappropriate for us to comment any further," Cathay added.

 

The flight had 272 passengers and 14 crew on board.

 

Police did not release details on the threat, but a spokeswoman for Hong Kong's Civil Aviation Authority said the bomb threat had been made by phone.

 

No arrests have been made and passengers were allowed to leave the aircraft after it landed safely.

 

The A340 aircraft was parked at a secure area of the airport for a "thorough security search" and screening of baggage, before being cleared, the airline said.

 

"They told us there was some sort of terrorist problem and the baggage would be held up," an unidentified male passenger told Canada's CTV News after disembarking.

 

When asked if he was aware that the flight had been escorted by military jets into Vancouver, another male passenger said: "No, no idea. That's news to me."

 

(Reuters)

[Johan Z 0]

Just came across the video, would like to share with everyone.

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kje6jA02ksY&feature=channel

[Pieter C. 5]

A similar situation occured yesterday in the Netherlands, when 2 F16's of Volkel AFB were scrambled to intercept an Onur A321, entering Dutch airspace without radio-contact...

 

Radio contact was re-established soon after seeing the fighters

[Teoh Z Yao 0]

What would scrambled jets do?

[iwan 3]

What would scrambled jets do?

 

if theres no response then they might shoot the plane down i guess?same situation i think would happen had they intercepted the 9/11 planes earlier..