DUBAI , 14 September 2006 — An Indian Airlines plane flying into Dubai was diverted to an air base in the Gulf emirate late Tuesday after a security scare, which turned out to be unfounded, a civil aviation official said yesterday.
The plane, with 153 passengers and crew, flew from Bombay, where airport authorities were warned of an unspecified “threat” aboard the aircraft as it approached the air space of the United Arab Emirates, said the official in the General Civil Aviation Authority, the UAE’s civil aviation regulator. The jet was diverted to Minhad military base in Dubai. Authorities searched the plane and the passengers but nothing suspicious was found, the official told AFP, requesting anonymity.
“Airport authorities received the call from the Indian civil aviation authorities at 9:45 p.m. on Tuesday. By 10 p.m., the aircraft was diverted to Minhad military base where proper inspection was conducted by both the police and army. “Members of the crew as well as the passengers were also checked but no bomb was found,” the source said
S. Kumar, a passenger on board said: “We were told that the plane would be landing at Dubai airport but the plane landed at Minhad base and we were asked to remain seated. Passengers were worried since no information was conveyed to us and the plane was surrounded by police, ambulance and security personnel. Later we underwent thorough security checks. The officials also questioned some passengers and later they realized that the threat was hoax.”
